Down the Bloodline 2
by Swalker2000
Summary: The Gru family continue with their eventful lives, with Jack dealing with childhood folly, Edith with an awkward friend, Margo with teenage love and Gru and Lucy with a frightening new villain. But suddenly, with the help of Dru's antics, everything turns pear-shaped, and the very fate of the world rests upon Gru, Lucy, and Jack's shoulders. Rated T for violence and mild language.
1. The Best Brother Ever

**_Despicable Me_ : Down the Bloodline 2**

 _Okay, so I wasn't actually gonna do a sequel to this story, but I really have a good plotline that I want to explore, and I just couldn't help myself._

 _So, since this is a sequel, I do recommend that you read the original before this one. This series does contain an OC, who has a very extensive background and past, all of which you're going to need to know to understand this story._

 _If you've read the original, then the only thing you need to know before you read this one, is that it takes place around two months after the first._

 _I'm really excited about the plot I wanna explore this time around, so I'm unsure how long it will be. Chances are, we'll be looking at 75,000 words again, just like last time. But it could be longer, or it could be shorter, only time will tell._

 _I also noticed that I followed Jack's story way too much in the first one, so I will give each character a much more defined plotline this time. One character who I didn't explore that much before was Dru, so I'll try and fit him in some more._

 _Hope you guys enjoy. Let's go!_

* * *

 **Chapter One -  
** _ **The Best Brother Ever**_

Darkness.

Before today, I had found it comforting. It was the catalyst that numbed every bad thought. It allowed each one to be replaced with soothing ignorance. Unfortunately, that was about to be ruined.

Rain.

Before today, I had found it relaxing. The pitter-patter would always remind me of the main positives I had in my life. Warmth. A roof over my head. Unfortunately, that was about to be ruined.

My bedroom.

Before today, I had found it safe and secure. It acted as a portal to a separate dimension, where the problems of the outside world were forgotten. Unfortunately, that was about to be ruined.

Looking back, I should've seen it coming. As I stared at the dark environment outside of my bedroom window, the moon's light illuminating the trails of rainwater down the glass, I should've known what was about to happen.

Why did I trick myself into a false sense of security? WHY!? If I had just been smart and thought about it, or if I had just listened to the screaming voice at the back of my head, I wouldn't have this deep wound on an already stained mind. Maybe, I would be normal...

And then, they appeared. The pair of blinding lights. They travelled from the road onto the driveway, the oh-so-familiar sound of the car engine accompanying them. My heart raced. My muscles tensed. The lone, fearful tear trickled it's way down my cheek.

"Please..." I muttered under my racing breath, my voice quivering under the intense fright that plagued my mind. "Please god..."

The sound and light cut out at the exact same moment, forcing the air to thunder out of my lungs. The door opened, proceeded by the pounding of two hard, aggressive steps. I squinted my eyes, internally praying that the figure exiting the car belonged to that of someone else, but the obscuring darkness would not allow me any confirmation.

As the driveway pounded underfoot, my heart rate elevated. With every step, the sound inched closer. Closer and closer. Harder and harder. Each one sending another spark of fright through my spine.

And then, the front door slammed open, sending a violent shockwave through the structure of the house. I shrieked in fear before turning around and thundering forward, attempting to obscure myself within the darkness. I squatted down and hid behind my bed, tightly locking my eyes shut, hoping that he wouldn't see me.

The audible sounds of shouts could be heard from downstairs, followed by eerie silence. For around ten seconds, the atmosphere filled with a calm tranquility. Was he gone? Did he leave? Am I safe? I pondered each one of those questions in my mind. Unfortunately, each one was followed by the answer I didn't want to hear...

 _No._

The bedroom door flung open, the light from the hallway immediately filling the room. I tried to keep myself hidden, but it was no use. The darkness was no longer there. The light was shining on me. I was visible.

He could see me...

He approached quickly. I had no time to think. His face was seething red with pure anger. His fists were clenched up in preparation for his next move. His eyes locked onto me with a dangerous glare.

And just before it began, he screamed my name.

"JACK!"

* * *

"JACK!"

Jack sat up quickly, jerking his head left and right as he flung his eyes open in surprise. He built himself up into a state of confusion as he spied no other figures in the room, up until the voice continued and indicated it's source.

"Morning!" A small, cute voice beamed from below. Jack immediately turned his gaze to look down, where he was met by the gleeful jumps of Agnes and the tired sulking of Edith. The wide smile drawn on Agnes's face displayed the excitement that had brewed in her mind.

"Oh. It's you two." He replied tiredly, wiping away the panicked sweat that had formed on his forehead.

"You were moaning in your sleep." Agnes stated, calming her giddy jumps slightly in order to speak coherently. "Were you having a nightmare?"

"I think so." Jack murmured. He continued to rub his head in frustration before transitioning his expression to inquisitive anger almost immediately. "Why did you wake me up!? You know I like sleep!"

"Well, so do I." Edith proclaimed unhappily, seeming in no mood to converse. The bags under her eyes suggested that she wasn't willingly awake. "But today is the day we're going to Agnes's friend's birthday party, remember?"

"Oh, please no..." Jack sulked, cocking his head back in dread. "Do I _have_ to come!?"

"You promised!" Agnes exclaimed. Her joyful smile replaced itself with a sad frown as her jumping came to a complete halt. If Jack refused to come, she would be forced to hold her breath until he agreed. That was Agnes's favourite card to pull. It's a wonder how she hadn't booked herself a hospital trip at this point.

"I did?"

"Yep." Edith stated. "Remember? At dinner yesterday. Mom and Dad aren't coming cuz they're going on some mission, so _you_ have to take us. Do you have like a two-second memory or something?"

"Shut up." Jack mumbled as he rubbed his tired eyes in irritation. The memory was now becoming clearer.

While he was eating at the dinner table with the whole family, Jack was trying his hardest to forget about a pounding headache that was causing him discomfort. So when Agnes started loudly yelping something about some birthday party, he absentmindedly agreed in order to get her to be quiet.

That was a mistake.

Jack gave a deep, tired sigh before continuing.

"When are we going?" He muttered, glancing at his pillow and imagining all the warm sleep he could be partaking in right now. Agnes peered over at the digital clock on the bedside table before responding.

"Fifteen minutes."

"Fifteen minutes!?" Jack yelled, throwing off the covers. "You should've woken me up earlier!"

Edith rolled her eyes in exasperation as her brother leaped from the bed and darted over to his wardrobe. He picked out some cool looking clothes before shooting his gaze back at the girls.

"Go play somewhere or something." He said, gesturing his hands towards the doorway as he analyzed the clothes further. "I'll be down in a bit."

Agnes cheered happily, satisfied that Jack had agreed to come, before gleefully prancing out into the hallway. Edith followed slowly on behind with a tired trudge, resembling that of a zombie as she walked. Just before she disappeared out of his room, Jack moved his gaze away from his selected clothes and to his little sister.

"Edith?" He inquired, capturing her attention. The tomboy sighed vigorously before sluggishly peering back at her brother, giving him a look that was itching to sternly berate him. "Why did _you_ agree to this? I thought you hated birthday parties."

"I don't hate birthday parties!" She exclaimed, shaking her head in disagreement. "I just don't like Agnes's friends. But when I heard they were having a bouncy castle, there was _no way_ I was turning that down."

"Bouncy castle?" Jack questioned, twisting his face in confusion. "What's a bouncy castle?"

"You don't know what a bouncy castle is!?" She exclaimed. Jack shook his head, prompting Edith to sarcastically chuckle. "You must've lived such a terrible life!"

Edith immediately regretted her sentence, slightly widening her eyes and tensing up. She had just made a big mistake! Considering that Jack's entire childhood had been stolen from him, saying something like that was sure to cause extreme offense. But to her surprise, he shrugged nonchalantly and gave his clothes another deep glare.

"You're not wrong." He stated calmy. Edith innerly sighed with relief and soothed her nerves.

If anyone else had said that to him the way she did, then they were practically _asking_ for a sharp punch to the nose. But since Jack loved Edith more than anything else in the world, there wasn't a thing she could say that would make him genuinely enraged.

"So...what is it then?" He asked, seeming to get slightly impatient.

"There's no point in explaining." She replied. "Just wait 'till you get on one. You'll never want to get off."

"If you say so." Jack said, narrowing his eyes at the clothes. "Do you think these look cool?"

"I dunno." She spoke, giving the black t-shirt and light blue jeans a quick glance before shrugging. "Why're you asking me for?"

"Well...I thought you were the expert on _'cool'_." He said, winking at her playfully. Edith smirked as she nodded her head in agreement.

"Good point." She spoke. "I think they look alright."

"Nice." Jack proclaimed, putting the clothes down on the bed. "Now shoo! I gotta get changed."

Edith turned back towards the door, sighing tiredly again, before coming to a complete stop as her eyes laid upon the 75kg dumbbells placed beside the wardrobe. She grinned with excitement. Maybe if she did some lifting, she could sport some huge muscles and intimidate everyone around her, just like her brother did.

"Woah!" She proclaimed, shifting her gaze back at Jack and pointing at the dumbbells with a small hop. "Can I borrow those?"

Jack gave his sister a confused glare, using his inquisitive expression to convey his doubt.

"Are you serious?" He questioned, smirking humorously.

"Yeah!" Edith stated, jumping happily, oblivious to Jack's obvious doubtful tone. Jack chuckled, preparing to reject her proposition, before smiling menacingly and crossing his arms.

"Look, I'll tell you what." He spoke, his little sister inching forward slightly in anticipation. "If you can lift that dumbbell above your knee, I'll let you borrow them."

"Pfft...easy!" She exclaimed, moving over to the dumbbell in question. She clamped one hand onto the bar and attempted to lift it into the air, but it wouldn't budge. She then proceeded to grab the bar with both hands, straining every ounce of her strength, but again, it remained glued to the floor. She continued to strain for another few seconds, before letting go and gasping heavily, the fatigue burning in her arms.

"Well...uh...that was certainly a _very_ good attempt," Jack spoke sarcastically, pulling a frown onto Edith's face. "But let me show you how to do it."

Jack grabbed it with one hand and lifted it above his head, grinning proudly and laughing mockingly as his sister turned away in a sulk.

"No need to show off..." She muttered in an aggressive tone. Jack was an incredibly cool and loving brother, and she wouldn't trade him in for the world, but sometimes his pride would get so frustrating. Yes, if she had muscles and if she could pack a punch like he could, she would act the same way, but it still annoyed her. Jack chuckled as he placed the dumbbell back down and ushered her out of the room.

"Now go away!" He instructed playfully, sticking out his tongue just before he closed the door behind her. He sighed tiredly as he moved over to the clothes laid out on the bed, his mind clouded by the memory of that disgusting nightmare.

"Again..." He muttered to himself, shaking his head angrily. "When will that dream just leave me alone?"

* * *

"Dis ees so boreeng!" Gru exclaimed, staring at the folder on the kitchen table, hoping that it would just disappear. Since being promoted to director of the AVL, Gru was forced to deal with a lot of tedious paperwork and assignments, as well as going out on the deadly missions. It was a recipe for constant weariness.

"It's not that much work, Gru." Lucy spoke as she sat beside her husband. She opened the folder and viewed the contents inside, being met by around fifty pieces of A4 paper. "Just a few forms and reports. You'll probably be done in twenty minutes, just in time to leave for that mission."

"Twenty meenutes! Yoo've gotta be keeding me!" Gru blurted, getting even more irritated. Twenty minutes is a long time when you're bored out of your mind. "Maybe dis director theeng eesn't for me..."

"But think of all the extra pay you're getting." Lucy spoke. "We can buy the girls practically anything they want for Christmas."

"Hmm..." Gru murmured, still seeming unconvinced as he took out the first form and read it. It was just some criminal report, detailing the acts and misdeeds of someone named 'Charles Pip'.

 _'What a fruity name...'_ Gru thought to himself. He read through the numbingly long pieces of information before being interrupted by the buzz of his mobile phone. With a sigh of exasperation, he reached down into his pocket and fished it out.

"Hello..." He muttered, a grievous frown dominating his face.

"Mr. Gru." The man on the other end spoke. "It's head office. Could you come over to the headquarters, please? We have a situation, and as the director, you must be here to deal with it."

"As always." Gru replied with a sharp roll of his eyes. "We'll be dere een a beet."

He hung up promptly and immediately began soothing his temple. He desperately needed a day off. Every time any villain fancied stealing a diamond or kidnapping an important person, Gru was forced to make his way over to the headquarters and talk to all the field agents, whether that be during the afternoon or late at night. It was becoming infuriating.

"Come on," Gru said, getting up from his seat and instructing his wife to follow. "We've got another situation."

"Oh, how I love a _situation_." Lucy replied, nodding and grinning. "I hope someone's kidnapped the president this time."

"Pfft...I doubt eet." Gru replied, walking out into the hallway. "Someone's probably just shopleefted a candy bar."

Lucy chuckled as the two made their way to the front door, where they met up with Jack and the three sisters. Agnes was still bouncing in excitement, Margo was preoccupied on her phone, and the other two looked tired and frustrated.

"Right, we'll be back een time for deener." Gru informed, directing his words at the teenager. "De party weel probably last around two hours, so yoo'll be back een de house een time for lunch. Yoo can make a sandweech, right?"

"No, no, I don't know how to put two pieces of bread together." Jack spoke angrily, rolling his eyes.

"Okay, okay, no need to get sarcastic." Gru replied. "I've left some money for a peeza just een case we're not back een time, but we should be."

"Can't we just have pizza anyway?" Margo asked, taking a second's break away from her phone.

"No, Margo." Gru stated. "We've already had peeza three times dis week, so preferably, I'd like sometheeng a leetle more healthy."

"Pfft... _healthy_." Jack murmured. "How stupid. Anything else?"

"Just have fun." Gru replied mockingly, sparking Jack's anger further. Two hours of screaming children was anything but _fun_.

"Bye girls!" Lucy cheered, pulling her three daughters in for a big hug. "Enjoy yourself at the party."

"Oh, I will!" Agnes replied, her excited jumps becoming more and more rapid and wild as time went on. "I'm gonna run and bounce and prance until I pass out!"

Everyone was unsure as to whether or not she was being serious, as knowing Agnes, it wouldn't be a shock if she was actually intending on doing so. The couple chuckled before exiting the house with a small wave. As soon as the door closed behind them, Jack turned to face the three girls with a long sigh of exasperation.

"Right then..." He muttered. "Let's just get this over with."

* * *

Gru and Lucy emerged from the glass elevator, transitioning into a room full of gloomy darkness. As their eyes focused in on their surroundings, a multitude of whiteboards, computers and important agents came into view.

This was the room used by the most important and highest ranked agents, where they discussed the next plan of action and how to go through with it. Before Gru had been promoted to director, the two didn't even know it existed.

"Ah, Gru." A man with a professional voice spoke, sporting a very smart black suit and white tie. "So nice to see you."

"Hello, Nigel." Gru responded tiredly. Nigel had been assigned to Gru as an assistant by the AVL head office, but he wasn't very much help when it came to completing missions and assignments. All he ever seemed to do was brief him on any problems, adding very little to the situation after doing so.

"How are we on this fine morning?" Nigel asked, grinding Gru's gears with another unnecessary pleasantry.

"Just great!" He snapped, anger overlaying his tone. He understood why Valerie was so enraged and demanding all the time. The workload and stress that came with being the director, slowly but surely, changed your attitude towards your work. "I'm guesseeng dat I haven't been called een here for a nice chat! What's goeeng on?"

"Meet Venin," Nigel spoke, gesturing his hands towards a wanted poster on the wall. Pictured on the front, was a man whose entire face was obscured by a black mask, except for his eyes and mouth. "A villain we've been trying to locate for seven years now. He and his wife used to go around committing various serious crimes, causing a lot of financial and physical damage as they did so. He went off the grid three years ago after his wife passed away, but we now have reason to believe that he has been involved in a multitude of mass-murders and abductions over the past month, and has slowly been transitioning back into villainy."

"Sounds like a lovely man." Gru stated sarcastically, eyeing up the picture. His eyes looked empty, as if he had no care for anything anymore. He remembered how he used to feel the same before adopting the girls. That was definitely an aspect of villainy he didn't miss.

"So...what do we need to do?" Lucy asked.

"I was...um...talking to the director." Nigel replied promptly, looking down on Lucy as if she were a peasant. Gru's frown immediately grew more aggressive, locking his fatal glare onto Nigel.

"Hey! Don't talk to my wife like dat!" He retorted, approaching him dangerously. "She may not be de director, but she's steel perfectly qualified to keeck your butt!"

Nigel took a step back, biting his upper lip in fear, before responding in a wary tone.

"Uh...I do apologize." He spoke. "That was definitely out of line. I take it back."

Lucy locked her arm around her husband's as she inched closer to him, sending him a warm thankful smile. Gru returned it, before snapping his gaze back onto Nigel, narrowing his eyes at him. If looks could kill, he wouldn't have lasted a second.

"Answer her question den!" He yelled.

"Oh, r-right..." Nigel stuttered, slightly startled by his demanding yelp. "We believe Venin is currently hiding somewhere in the city, but we're unsure as to where. Since he's been keeping an incredibly low profile, we can't track him using personal data records or DNA footprint, so unfortunately, we are forced to go with plan B."

"Wheech ees?"

"Just...look around." Nigel said with a shrug. Gru scoffed, crossing his arms and implanting yet another furious stare onto his assistant.

"Ees dis some sort of joke?" He asked bluntly, forcing a lump to form in Nigel's throat. "Yoo expect me to go out dere and tell all de agents to stroll around town and find some man, who we know notheeng about except dat he wears a mask, and breeng heem een?"

"Uh...well, when you put it like that-"

"Find me more leads, and den we'll talk!" Gru snapped, almost startling Nigel out of his skin. "And maybe dis time, eenstead of doeeng absolutely notheeng after dis conversation ends, yoo can actually help out and do some research on dis guy."

"Uh...well...I don't see why not." Nigel spoke weakly, shrinking down in himself.

"Good!" Gru stated loudly before turning around and making his way back to the glass elevator, ushering Lucy to follow on behind. "Come on Lucy. We've got a mission to complete. Good day Nigel."

"Um...yes...good day." He replied, gradually calming his intimidated nerves and sitting down in front of the nearest computer. He logged in using his credentials before staring at the screen in confusion. He had very little experience with computers.

"Research, research..." He muttered to himself, stroking his chin in contemplation. How did he go about doing research? Did he use the internet? For that matter, how do you use the internet? After a few seconds of uncertainty, he turned to face a few other important agents in the room and gave them a questioning expression.

"Does anyone know how to research?"

* * *

Jack, Margo, Edith and Agnes walked down the front path of a very neat looking house, the youngest of the four practically bouncing out of her own skin. The not-so-distant sounds of kids cheering and shouting could be heard, forcing Jack to wince in frustration. Oh, how much he hated kids! Well...except for his three little sisters. Them, he made an exception for.

It sounded like the party was being held in the backyard, which gave Jack at least some sort of comfort. If it was being held inside, escaping would be a lot more difficult. After reaching the front door, Jack gave it a few hard knocks that almost snapped it off its hinges, before a giddy blonde woman answered.

"Hello." She proclaimed, giving the four of them an incredibly irritating smile. "Oh, if it isn't the Gru family! How are we all?"

"Excited!" Agnes yelped joyfully, her eyes going wider than the sun. The blonde woman chuckled as she stepped out of the way and gestured down the hall.

"Just walk right-on through." She informed. "The party's out back."

"YAYYYYY!" Agnes cheered, bulleting down the hallway and disappearing completely out of sight. Margo laughed as she followed on behind, trying desperately to keep up with her little sister. Jack sighed deeply as he took a reluctant step into the house, Edith staying right beside him, before being immediately interrupted by the blonde woman.

"I don't believe we've met." She welcomed happily, catching Jack's attention with her high-pitched voice. "I'm Helen, Agnes's friend Trudy's mom. And who might you be?"

"Uh...I'm Jack," He replied warily, hoping to avoid a long conversation. "The brother."

"Brother?" She questioned. "I didn't realize they had a brother. Are you adopted just like them?"

Jack narrowed his eyes at the woman. How did she know all this information? Was she a spy? Did she have some sort of malicious motive? Before getting himself too carried away, something he had got used to doing as a former IVB agent, Jack calmed down and shook it off as her just being nosy. If she knew the girls beforehand, then knowing them, they probably told her every little detail about their lives.

"Look, it's a long story." He replied with a sigh, massaging his temple as he did so. Hopefully, that would be the end of this pointless conversation. How did he go from kidnapping and murdering people to forcing small talk with some annoying mother in the space of a few months? He was unsure as to which one he preferred.

"He's _my_ long-lost brother." Edith perked up, hugging onto his leg as she spoke. Jack glared down at her angrily, innerly screaming for her to shut up, before Helen continued to converse.

"Really?" She questioned. "How did you get reunited?"

Yep. Definitely nosy.

"Again. Long story!" Jack replied sternly. "Look, Helen, could you do me a favour?"

"Oh. Of course!"

" _Don't_ invite Agnes to another party!" He stated aggressively, causing Helen's eyes to widen in shock. He marched down the hallway, leaving her to stand beside the doorway with a deeply insulted expression, as Edith snickered and followed on behind.

The two met up with Margo by the steps on the back door. The three surveyed the scene outside, and to Jack's dismay, it was absolute chaos. There were kids everywhere, making the noise outside almost completely unbearable. There were around twelve different tables, each one littered with different variations of food, and at the end of the very long garden, was a weird looking structure that resembled some sort of castle.

"Is _that_ a bouncy castle?" Jack asked, pointing at it.

"Yep." Edith replied with a nod.

"There isn't a chance on earth that I'm going anywhere near that... _thing_." He stated, cringing in disgust. He wouldn't have had much of a problem with it, if it wasn't for the fact that each tower of the castle was topped with a unicorn head. Edith was about to argue, but just as the words were on the tip of her tongue, her eyes came to a grinding halt on a certain figure.

"Oh no." She muttered, huffing in frustration. "Margo, look. It's that new kid from down the street."

She pointed over to a boy with brown hair, who wore a blue jumper, black jeans and red trainers. He was standing around on his own, staring at other groups of children, internally wishing he had the confidence to talk to them.

"So?" Margo asked.

"Ugh...he's so weird." Edith replied, glancing at him with a frown.

"How do you know?" Margo questioned disapprovingly. "Have you even talked to him?"

"Yeah, unfortunately." She argued. "He stuttered awkwardly the entire time. In the end, I just had to walk away from him."

"Strange." Jack agreed, eyeing up the boy in question. By the way that he was shaking a little, it was clear that he was incredibly anxious to be here. As he continued to analyze his surroundings, attempting to find the quickest escape route, Jack's attention was caught by something interesting. "Now, if you need me, I'll be suffocating myself in food."

Jack walked off, trying his hardest not to bump into any energetic kids, until he reached the nearest food table. There was such a huge selection upon it, he almost couldn't believe his own eyes. At least there was one positive about this negative situation...

Edith made her way over to the bouncy castle, where she observed three very young kids already upon it. Each one of them was clearly afraid of jumping too high, purely based on their small little hops. She smiled menacingly, as an evil plan began forming itself in her head. She kicked off her boots and climbed up onto it, immediately beginning to leap high into the air, knocking the other kids off their feet.

They all screamed and begged for her to stop, but with each plead, she found herself bouncing higher and higher. After twenty seconds of absolute torture for the three kids, one of the parents saw what was happening and ruined her fun.

"Hey, hey!" He yelled. "Don't bounce too high! You're scaring them!"

"Pfft...no I'm not. They're fine." Edith argued. She peered over at the kids, one of them almost at the point of tears, and couldn't hold back her malicious giggle.

"If you don't stop bouncing that high, I'll get Helen to take this thing down!" He blurted. The shade of red in his cheeks proved that he wasn't bluffing.

"Ugh...fine." Edith replied, slowly coming to a stop and crossing her arms in a sulk. After the parent strolled away, Edith turned to face the three kids and stuck out her tongue aggressively, which only seemed to add to their fear. As she climbed back down to the floor, Agnes came bounding over and caught her attention.

"Hey, Edith!" She yelped. "I made a friend! Meet Charlie!"

 _'Oh, great.'_ Edith thought to herself after laying her eyes upon the boy that was standing next to her. It was that awkward new kid. He was about a foot taller than Agnes, proving that he must be around Edith's age. He really must be desperate for friends if he's making one who's six-years-old.

"H-Hey, E-Edith." He stuttered, breaking into a fearful sweat as he gave her a small wave.

"Uh...hey." Edith replied, eyeing him up intensely. Judging on how quickly he turned his head away in fright, her glare must've been adding to his anxiety.

"What were you doing on the bouncy castle?" Agnes asked, cocking her head slightly. "I saw that man yell at you."

"I was _'bouncing too high'_." Edith spoke angrily, impersonating his voice and making her little sister giggle. "This is lame. If I can't bounce high, what was the point in coming?"

"Y-yeah, t-this is kinda b-boring." Charlie spoke, trying his hardest to speak coherently. Edith decided that the best way to deal with him, was to just completely ignore him. Hopefully that way, he would get the message that he was way too weird to hang around with someone as cool as Edith.

She crossed her arms and turned her gaze around the garden. Margo was sitting down and texting someone on her phone, while Jack was stuffing his face with cupcakes and party sausages. There wasn't anything fun to do. Or more frustratingly, there wasn't anything menacing to do.

As she continued to observe her surroundings, her glare came to a halt upon a machine at the back of the garden. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell agape.

"Woahhhh!" She spoke, pointing at it excitedly. "It's one of those arcade boxing machines!"

She sprinted over, Agnes and Charlie following, until she was standing just in front of it. Three LED numbers displayed the high score, which was 901, and a large red button was placed below them. Edith didn't know how Helen had got this, but at that moment, she couldn't have cared less.

"That is so _cool_!" She exclaimed. "I wanna go!"

She slammed her palm on the red button, making the machine ding and the punching bag emerge from it's hiding spot. She peered up at the bag, readying herself to throw her punch, before realizing that she wasn't tall enough to reach it. If she jumped high enough, she could probably get a finger onto it, but you can't punch with a single finger.

"Oh come on!" She yelled angrily, crossing her arms once again and racking her mind. How could she make herself tall enough to reach it? Surely, there wasn't a way to do so. Then, the answer appeared.

"Jack!" She shouted, grasping her brother's attention away from the mini-sandwiches. "Come help me out!"

Jack turned to face the source of the voice, where his gaze was immediately caught by the boxing machine. A giddy smile transitioned onto his face as he observed it. He loved punching things, whether that be a machine or an annoying person. He sprinted over, almost knocking several children off their feet, before reaching the three kids, and more importantly, the boxing machine.

"No way!" He proclaimed. "That is so _cool_!"

"I know right!" Edith exclaimed. "Could you lift me up so I can reach it?"

"Yeah, sure." Jack said happily, moving down to pick her up before coming to a halt. "Actually...let Agnes have a go first."

"What!? No fair!" Edith argued.

"YAY!" Agnes cheered, putting her arms up with a gleeful cheer. As Edith crossed her arms and frowned at him, Jack kneeled down and whispered in her ear.

"If you let Agnes go first, you can show her up." He spoke quietly, giving her a wink. He was right. Agnes was sure to get a fairly low score, so it would seem a lot more impressive after she hit a massive one.

She nodded with a joyful smirk as Jack moved over and lifted Agnes into the air, where she slammed the bag with her palm. It inched backward, not fully reaching it's spot again, before displaying her score.

 _87._

"Nice one Agnes!" Jack exclaimed, making her celebrate happily. The small crowd of children watching behind them gave a very weak clap, each one obviously unimpressed. Jack wanted to turn around and scold them all for not cheering massively for her, but decided that doing so would cause a lot of unnecessary problems.

"Okay, my turn!" Edith blurted, pressing the red button again. Jack lifted her up into the air, where she smashed her fist into the bag, sending it backward with a decent thump.

 _702._

"Wow." Jack spoke with genuine shock. That score was _very_ good, considering she was only nine-years-old. Once the score displayed itself, the crowd gave a loud clap. By the sounds of impressive mutters, Jack's plan had worked. Edith beamed proudly as her brother placed her back onto her feet, where she gave a bow and admired her impressive score.

"N-Nice one, E-Edith." Charlie muttered, staring at the ground nervously. Jack narrowed his eyes at the boy, confused as to why he was stuttering, before turning to face Edith once again.

"That's my sis." He said, giving her a high-five. She smiled massively. Maybe she didn't need the dumbbells. Maybe she was stronger than she thought. Jack ruffled the hair under her beanie, making her giggle, before gesturing towards the machine. "Would you...uh...mind pressing the button for me?"

Edith snapped out of her pride and obliged, making the bag reappear. Jack stared at it, concentrating on his target in deep thought, before lifting his fist and belting an incredibly powerful punch, making the bag fly back in a complete blur. The machine almost toppled over as the impact thundered through its workings, but just about stayed on its feet. The LED lights jittered and flickered before finally displaying his insane score.

 _999._

Everyone, including Edith, dropped their mouths in shock. Nobody was expecting that. They wanted to clap and cheer, but they were just too amazed. A score like that was almost unbelievable.

"Aw, man." Jack sulked. "They should add a fourth digit to these things."

Finally, the garden erupted into a cacophony of claps and applauds. Jack turned and was a little surprised to see almost every single person in the entire garden looking back at him, either clapping or staring at him in disbelief. Jack put his fist in the air and celebrated. He didn't realize how much he loved people giving him their attention. It felt exhilarating.

"Y-Your brother i-is a-amazing!" Charlie exclaimed, directing his sentence to Edith, but avoiding eye contact with her. Edith turned away and attempted to ignore him again, but this time, her suspicions overcame and wouldn't leave her mind alone. What's up with this kid? She turned to face him with an aggressive glare, piercing into him with her tone.

"What's with the stuttering?" She asked bluntly. Charlie glanced at her for a moment with an expression that displayed his fear, before looking back down to the ground and muttering embarrassingly.

"I-I dunno." He said with a shrug. "I-I never usually s-stutter like t-this."

"So why are you stuttering now?" She continued, narrowing her eyes demandingly. Charlie looked like he wanted the ground to open up and swallow him.

"Is it because of Edith?" Margo asked suddenly, appearing from seemingly nowhere. Edith peered at her older sister in confusion, while Charlie transitioned to a mixed look of rage and unease.

"NO!" He yelped desperately, turning to face the bespectacled girl quickly. This conversation was steering in a bad direction, one of which he was very uncomfortable with. "L-Look, I'll s-see you l-later."

He quickly shuffled off, wanting to escape before he fainted out of total fright. He weaved through a multitude of lively children until he was completely sure he was out of sight.

"Well...that was weird." Jack stated. Margo watched the boy until he disappeared within the hordes of children, before turning to face her little sister and grinning mockingly. Edith met her gaze, and after a few seconds of silence, crossed her arms and frowned.

"What!?" She snapped.

"Oh, nothing..." She sang unconvincingly. "I'm sure you'll find out soon enough."

"What do you mean by that!?" Edith inquired. Instead of responding, Margo chuckled jokingly and wandered off, looking back at her with an irritating grin. Edith was beyond confused. Something was up with that boy, and she wasn't going to leave it until she found out what.

"Jack...?" Agnes asked suddenly, shrinking down in herself. "Could you come over to the bouncy castle with me?"

"No, no, no, no, no, no. A thousand times no!" Jack replied quickly, giving the castle a quick glance. "I ain't going anywhere near that...that...abomination."

"Please..." Agnes asked cutely, widening her eyes. Jack knew she was doing it on purpose. Jack knew she was trying to manipulate him. Jack knew he had to ignore her adorableness.

"Ugh...fine." He replied. Unfortunately, ignoring her adorableness was practically impossible. Agnes cheered and grabbed Jack's hand, pulling him towards the disgusting, unicorn castle thing. The closer they got, the more apprehensive he was becoming. This was _not_ going to be a nice experience.

The two took off their shoes and climbed up onto the castle, the oldest sporting a frown of disapproval. Agnes began bouncing as high as she could, which wasn't particularly high, while Jack trod along the weird surface carefully. It was like walking on air.

"So...what do I do now?" He asked.

"Bounce!" Agnes exclaimed, her voice quivering as she flew up and down in the air. Jack continued to stand there in confusion, attempting to figure out a way to start bouncing, before Edith appeared from his left, flying through the air with a huge jump.

Jack wobbled with the bouncy castle as it shook under her massive leaps, until he eventually toppled to the ground. As he hit the bouncy surface, his body went flying up into the air, coming back down with another satisfying jolt.

"Woah!" He exclaimed happily. "This is awesome!"

"Told you." Edith proclaimed, as her brother got back on his feet. Just as he was about to join her in leaping into the air, that same parent came over and scolded the nine-year-old.

"What did I tell you earlier!?" He shouted. "Don't bounce that high! Are you deaf or something!?"

"Hey! Don't talk to my sister like that!" Jack demanded angrily, tensing his huge muscles and implanting an intimidating glare upon him. The man eyed him up in shock, clearly frightened by his expression, before stuttering with an insulted tone.

"Well...if you controlled her better, maybe I wouldn't have to!" He replied, trying to make himself look big and scary. He was failing. Jack scoffed with rage, clenching his fists slightly, before speaking low and dangerously.

"Did you see the score that I got on that machine earlier?" He asked, pointing over at the boxing machine. Judging on how his expression transcended into even more fear, the man clearly had done. Before he could respond, Jack smirked evilly and lowered his head. "Well...imagine a 999 right across your face!"

The man gulped and inched backward in terror. If his punch almost made a heavy machine topple to the ground, imagine what it could do to his head...

He scurried off promptly, almost tripping over his own feet in trepidation, before disappearing out of view. Jack grinned with satisfaction. He absolutely adored scaring people, especially when they deserved it. Feeling their smiles burrow into the back of his head, Jack turned and addressed his two little sisters.

"You don't have to say it...I'm the best brother ever!" He proclaimed. Edith rolled her eyes in exasperation, still wearing a vigorous smile, before getting back to bouncing as high as she could. Agnes giggled, however it was very faint over the sound of her older sister's huge leaps.

After taking in his victory, Jack joined Edith in bouncing hugely, admiring the intense rush of wind through his hair. It felt amazing. He had never felt so alive. He began uncontrollably laughing, the entire world around him seeming to fade out for a little while. Nothing mattered anymore. All that mattered was this feeling.

This feeling of being free.

It was like being on a drug. He never wanted to stop bouncing. The only desire he possessed, was to bounce higher. The only feeling he felt, was complete freedom. The only question he wanted answering, was how high he could get. Could he reach the sun? Possibly. I mean, when you're free, there is no limit to what you can do.

He felt his worry's drift away. He felt his frustration sooth into unbridled glee. He felt a small compartment of his brain open up. What was happening to him? Why did he feel like this? Why was all this bouncing so therapeutic? Considering this was a feeling he had never felt before, he should've been afraid, but at that moment, all he could feel was happiness.

The remainder of the time at the party was spent bouncing. He never intended on doing so for almost two hours, but it just happened. The world had felt so distant, that everyone around him seemed to completely disappear. People were probably speaking to him, asking him questions or starting general small talk, but there was no way he could respond. He was still unsure as to why he felt like this, but he did know one thing...

...he never wanted to stop feeling it.

* * *

Dru emerged from his bedroom and into the chaotic lab with a tired trudge. His expression was dominated by the surliest of frowns. The sounds of the minions communicating in their masses seemed frustratingly loud to him today, to the point where he almost wanted to scream at them.

He was fairly sure as to why he felt so grumpy. He had stayed up very late last night. Every time he felt his eyes burn that little more, he argued and kept himself awake, knowing that the next day would have to come that little bit quicker if he didn't.

He had to admit it at this point. Life was becoming boring. Villainy was becoming repetitive. A tedious routine was forming. He just needed a little bit of spice in his life. Something that would perk him back up and take him into the next day with that missing sense of pure adrenaline. He wasn't sure how to get it to return, and that's what was beginning to scare him.

"Mornin' Dru." Dr. Nefario greeted, turning away from several different beakers of unrecognizable liquid and to the blonde villain. "How are we?"

"Hmph..." Dru huffed, rubbing his forehead in hopes to rid his painful headache. "Not great."

"Good to hear." He responded sarcastically, turning back to the beakers. "Have we any news on the Rome heist then?"

"Oh, fudge to de heist!" Dru blurted as he slumped down onto the nearest chair. "I couldn't care less about dat stupeed painteeng anymore!"

He crossed his arms and sighed deeply. A few months ago, Dru would've relished the possibility of stealing the Madonna di Loreto from the Basilica of Sant'Agostino in Rome, and then demanding a hefty sum for its safe return. But now, it sounded boring. Nefario turned his head and narrowed his eyes at Dru, who was staring down at his feet in clear ire.

"What's up, lad?" He asked, still giving the beakers most of his attention. Dru, once again, rubbed his forehead with a sigh, seeming reluctant to talk.

"I dunno..." He muttered. "I guess I'm just bored of villainy. Eet's de same theeng everytime. Steal sometheeng, scare a load of people, demand a payoff and den rince and repeat. Eet's just becomeeng repetitive."

"Well, that's only a small part of villainy." Nefario stated as he poured the contents of one beaker into another, causing a faint gas cloud to erupt with a fizzle. "Maybe you should try giving the more... _evil_...route a spin."

"What do yoo mean by dat?" Dru inquired, perking his head in genuine intrigue.

"Well...villainy isn't just about stealing things." Nefario explained. "It's also about kidnapping people, scaring the masses with disgusting threats and causing insane amounts of damage. Maybe you could those parts a go."

"Hmm..." Dru spoke, rubbing his chin as he lifted his head into the air in contemplation. "Dat does sound... _evil_. But how would I go about doeeng dat?"

Timed to absolute perfection, the phone in the lab rang just as Dru finished his sentence. Nefario strolled over and took the phone from its holder on the wall, holding it to his ear.

"Hello?" He spoke. "Oh...um...yes, this is the right place. Uh, yes, of course."

Nefario held the phone towards Dru, making him widen his eyes and lift his head completely.

"It's for you."

Dru pranced over with a small squeal and took the phone out of the doctor's hand, immediately shoving it next to his ear. Something as small as a phone call counted as a slight tinge of spice to Dru.

"Hello!" He boomed.

"Am I speaking to...Dru?" A casual voice replied, skipping the introductions.

"Uh...yoo sure are!" Dru replied, finding himself grinning uncontrollably. "And who might yoo be?"

"You'll find that out soon enough." The voice replied, sparking confusion in Dru's mind, one of which he completely ignored. "I need you to answer a simple question for me. How would you like to be involved in one of the evilest schemes of all time?"

Dru almost fainted.

"U-Uh...y-yeah, s-sure!" He stuttered, violently shaking in excitement. "What's de plan?"

"We can discuss that later." The voice stated bluntly. "Just meet me and a few...associates...along the barren road beside Crestfall forest. Do you know where that is?"

"Uh..." Dru replied, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. He didn't have a clue where that was, but he really didn't want to pass up such an exciting opportunity. He racked his mind for a moment, up until his attention was caught by the super-computer room. That thing could help him find the forest in question. "Of course!"

"Good." The voice responded. By his tone, you could tell the man was extremely satisfied. "Be there at eleven o'clock tonight. Don't be late!"

Before he could respond, the voice transitioned to a long, irritating tone. He had hung up. Dru dropped the phone and began energetically prancing around the lab. This was it. The chance to add a twist to his life. The chance to get that feeling of adrenaline back. His mind was clouded by a buzz of excitement, giggling as he went around picking up different minions and squeezing them in a hug.

"So...what was that about?" Nefario asked. If his goggles weren't in the way, Dru would've seen the confusion flooded in his eyes.

"I, Dru, have been eenvited to participate een a villainous scheme." He proclaimed proudly. "De most evil villainous scheme dat has ever been perpetrated!"

A few minions gasped in shock as they listened profusely to Dru's announcement. The villain couldn't hold back his joyful grin at the sound of their reactions, only adding to his extreme excitement.

It was finally time to spice up his life.

* * *

 _As always, I really hope you enjoyed the first chapter._

 _If you did, please consider dropping a review. Reading what you think is one of the best things to do!_


	2. The Man in the Black Mask

_Okay, so I apologize for taking so long to release this chapter, but some stuff has been going down in the real world (ugh) and I've had very little time to work on this while I've been dealing with it._

 _Hopefully, it should all be sorted now, and my full concentration will return to this story. Thanks to anyone who favourited and followed the story so far. The number went up very quickly, and it caught me a little off guard. Can't thank everyone enough._

* * *

 **Chapter Two -  
** ** _The Man in the Black Mask_**

Jack, Margo, Edith and Agnes walked up the steps towards the front door of their house. The walk home from the party had been anything but quiet. Jack and Agnes were conversing loudly the entire time, each conversation topic they explored being incredibly juvenile. Margo and Edith had remained fairly quiet, with the eldest of the two messaging friends on her phone, and the youngest contemplating that weird boy Charlie.

Since bouncing on that bouncy castle, Jack had felt a lot different, and not in a bad way. He could feel constant energy running through his veins, energy that he was itching to export in a multitude of different activities. In fact, it took the girls fifteen minutes to get Jack off the castle after the party had finished, and even then there were still many complaints.

Jack still had no clue as to the reason why he felt so different, but did explanations actually matter? Not to him. All that mattered at this moment in time, was finding some more fun stuff to do.

After making their way into the house, the four went straight to the kitchen, where Jack made each one of them a sandwich, albeit messing around the entire time. He may have only known them for two months, but Jack had memorized exactly what sandwich each girl preferred. He decided that doing so would be a good decision, otherwise, it would just cause many unnecessary rifts and arguments.

"That party was _so awesome_!" Jack proclaimed as he set down each sandwich. His giddy smile shot itself around the whole room, before finally landing upon the youngest of the three sisters as she sat in her booth seat. "Thanks for inviting me, Agnes."

"You're welcome." She beamed proudly. "Do you wanna come to the next one?"

"Pfft...are you kidding!?" He replied with a chuckle. "Of course! I can't wait!"

Just as the teen sat down with the girls beside the kitchen table, Margo's phone buzzed for the umpteenth time and attracted her attention once again. Edith, who was getting a little frustrated by the constant vibration, narrowed her eyes at her, sporting a questioning expression.

"Who are you texting so much?" She asked sternly. Margo stayed quiet for a second, finishing her next text message, before turning to face her little sister with a slightly excited smile.

"Just my friend Avery." She replied. As soon as she finished her sentence, she quickly shifted her gaze to Jack, using her expression as a persuasion tool. "Is it okay if I go out in a bit?"

"Go for it." Jack said with a shrug, seeming disinterested. He was way more interested in a question of his own. "What do you two wanna do today?"

Edith and Agnes glanced at each other, both clearly unsure with what to answer with, before looking back to Jack with a shrug of uncertainty.

"Dunno." Edith replied. Jack frowned slightly, turning away as he took the next bite of his sandwich, before having his train of thought interrupted by Agnes.

"Why don't we play unicorns!?" She requested suddenly, prompting Edith to huff at her little sister's idea of fun. Running around and pretending to be some unicorn in some made up world that Agnes would imagine sounded the total opposite of fun. There was no way her brother would go along with something so ridiculous.

"Yeah, why not?" He answered, followed by a loud cheer as Agnes punched the air happily. Margo and Edith's mouths fell agape in shock. Were their ears lying to them, or did he actually just say that? They turned to face their brother, looking at him like he was crazy.

"What!?" Edith blurted angrily.

"Jack...are you feeling okay?" Margo asked. By the genuine concern in her voice, you'd think Jack looked seriously ill.

"Okay?" He inquired with a loud laugh. "I'm more than okay! I feel amazing! Why?"

"What do you mean ' _why_ '!?" Edith boomed. "You seriously wanna play unicorns!?"

"What's wrong with that?" He questioned. At this point, Edith was lost for words. All she could do was stutter, looking at him like a ghost was slowly taking his place at the kitchen table.

Her brother, the boy who punched 999 on the boxing machine, the boy who rugby tackled a grown man to save her life, the boy who used to go around kidnapping and beating people up as a living, wanted to play _unicorns_!? How could she respond to that?

After a few seconds of stunned silence at the table, Agnes perked up in excitement and began gathering all the details she needed for her little game.

"Which one do you want to be?" She asked. "Arthur, the unicorn prince, or Matthew, the unicorn villain?"

"I'll be the prince one." Jack replied politely. Agnes nodded, taking a mental note, before Edith's loud scowl penetrated the air, breaking herself out of her state of slight shock.

"Oh come on!" She snapped. "You're not even gonna be the _cool_ unicorn!?"

"Well...which one do you want to be, Edith?" Agnes asked. The tomboy crossed her arms and frowned in a furious sulk.

"Who says that _I'm_ playing!?"

"Awww." Her little sister moaned, pulling a deeply disappointed face. "Please..."

"No, Agnes!" Edith replied sharply, prompting Agnes to relay an aggressive frown. She wished her cute pleads worked against Edith the same way it did against Gru, Lucy and Jack. "I've got better things to do than pretend to be some stupid unicorn!"

"Pfft...like what?" Jack questioned, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms. Edith quickly turned and eyed him up with ire, preparing to retort and put him in his place. But to her dismay, her mind went completely blank.

"Well...uhhh..." She replied. She didn't have a clue. There was never anything good on TV during the afternoon, playing in the backyard on her own would be boring, and she had played with every single toy she possessed a million times. There were no other options. Unless...

"Like...go out for a little while." She proclaimed, lifting her head valiantly with a smirk. Now that sounded like a fun idea. Jack narrowed his eyes, lifting his head with hers accordingly.

"Where?"

"Anywhere."

"To do what?"

"Anything."

"With who?"

"Anyone."

It was clear that Edith didn't have a clue what she wanted to do, and chances are, she would end up strolling aimlessly around the neighbourhood, all on her own.

"You're gonna get bored..." Jack warned.

"How do _you_ know?" Edith asked aggressively with a sharp roll of her eyes. At this point, Jack was tired of arguing. Gru really wouldn't approve of letting her go out all on her own, but Jack wasn't her father, and he wasn't going to stop her.

"If you don't wanna play unicorns, then fine." He stated before uncrossing his arms and pointing a demanding finger at his little sister. "But make sure you take your phone with you. And don't go too far. And look both ways when you cross the road. And don't talk to any strangers."

"Okay, okay!" Edith snapped bluntly, sharply rolling her eyes as she got back to her sandwich. She racked her mind while she ate, thinking up some cool stuff to do. She could go down to the nearby wood and find some cool insects. She could go over to the soccer field and kick a ball around. She could go down to the library and deliberately make a lot of noise. Or, she could do it all. Anything is better than stupid unicorns.

After a few minutes of Jack and Agnes debating the storyline in which their game would follow, Margo finished her sandwich and got up from the table, ensuring that she didn't forget her handbag.

"Okay, I'll be back for dinner." She said, fishing through the handbag and making sure that she had everything she needed.

"Wait, wait." Edith spoke quickly, taking the last bite of her sandwich and following on. "I'll come with you."

"You're not hanging around with me." Margo stated sternly, quickly shifting her gaze from out of the bag and to Edith. It wasn't that Margo didn't like her, it was more that she didn't want her hanging around with her friends. Who knows what kind of private stuff she'll tell them. Edith frowned and scoffed, seeming quite offended.

"Why would I wanna do that!?" She replied aggressively, poking out her tongue. Margo rolled her eyes in slight aggravation, before making her way out of the kitchen, Edith following on shortly behind.

"See you later." Jack called out. "Have fun."

The two gave a little wave as they disappeared out into the hallway, before Agnes spun in her seat and turned to face Jack with an extremely toothy grin.

"So then, Jack?" She asked, bouncing a little in her seat. "Are you ready to enter the land of unicorns?"

"Agnes..." Jack mumbled lowly, glancing at her with a humorous smirk. "I believe my name is Arthur."

* * *

Nigel rubbed his aggravated forehead, feeling his eyes burn under the intensity of the monitor's light. He had spent the past two hours fumbling around on the internet, reading through a variety of different articles and columns, attempting to find any added information on Venin.

However, the combination of his lack of computer knowledge and Venin's strangely impressive hiding techniques, meant that Nigel had found absolutely nothing. Gru was going to kill him for this.

After another article had been deemed a dud, Nigel turned away with an exasperated sigh and contemplated how he even got to this assistant position in the first place. His father used to be one of the top-class AVL researchers, finding the information he wanted almost immediately and in fantastic clarity. He dreamed of following in his footsteps, but some dreams just aren't meant to come true.

Nigel was an idiot. Or, that's how his father perceived him to be anyway. He joined the AVL in the hopes of taking over for his dad after he passed away, but his idiocy landed him some stupidly degrading job of briefing the infuriating director and pushing keys on a grubby keyboard. Life sucked.

He had never found himself a wife, or even a girlfriend for that matter. He had a small stint in college, where he just about managed to lose his virginity, but that was about it. All of his family had passed on, and the only people he ever spoke to on a daily basis, was his small group of friends.

He owned some crappy apartment in a terribly run down building, where rats and cockroaches were practically becoming rampant. Every single day, waking up in his cheap bed and watching his barely comprehensible TV, was a constant reminder of how his life was going nowhere, and how everything he had ever inspired to be was becoming further and further away from a reality.

"How you holding up?" Derek asked suddenly, appearing from the left and placing down a mug of coffee beside Nigel's chosen computer.

"Not good..." He replied tiredly, rubbing his eyes and sighing. Derek was one of the people involved in his little friendship group, and possibly, one of Nigel's favourite people to talk to. He was a very nice and generous guy, who loved his AVL job and adored drinking himself silly.

"Well, don't worry about it." He responded with a shrug, taking up the seat beside him. "Just remember, only another five hours 'til quittin' time."

"Hmm...thanks for reminding me." Nigel said with a chuckle, taking a sip of the coffee. He desperately tried to savour it, hoping to extract as much energy as possible. "Fancy a trip to the tavern later?"

"Stupid question," Derek replied with a smirk. "I'd love to."

"Good." Nigel stated, navigating through some more web pages, each one littered with frustratingly long paragraphs and low-quality images. "I need a good drink right about now. I mean, the more time I spend in that crummy apartment, the closer I get to absolute insanity."

"Well, in that case, how about you come over to mine for dinner tonight?" Derek asked. "I mean, you can't eat meals-for-one every night."

"It's not every night..." Nigel replied with a chuckle. That was a blatant, and not very believable, lie. "But...I don't wanna be any kind of trouble."

"Nonsense." He said promptly. "You won't be any trouble! Plus, I'm sure Melissa and the kids would love to see you."

Nigel turned away from the computer monitor slowly, giving his friend a large grateful smile.

"Thanks." He spoke.

"Think nothing of it." Derek replied, returning the smile. "Now, enough of me disturbing you. You've got work to do. I'll talk to you later."

Nigel gave a nod as Derek got up from his seat and wandered off. The one thing he was extremely thankful for, was his friends. They treated him well, even though sometimes that would make him feel unintentionally worse. I mean, going over to Derek's huge house and seeing his beautiful wife and adorable kids made him feel incredibly envious. Some kind of change was needed in his life. A big one.

He turned back to the computer and continued his pointless research, knowing full well that locating any information was a far cry at this point. What if Gru fired him for this? What was he going to do then...?

* * *

Margo arrived at the town park, her gaze being immediately caught by Avery and Lauren sitting on one of the benches. Avery was Margo's best friend. She was a beautiful brunette who loved makeup and boy bands, even though she wasn't particularly interested in music. It was more the boys she seemed to enjoy.

Lauren, on the other hand, was one of Avery's other friends. She was a blonde who always wore gothic clothes and makeup, but refused to dye her hair black. Margo was unsure as to whether or not she actually liked her.

"Hey, guys." She greeted, attracting the two girls attentions.

"Finally." They said in unison, Avery smirking playfully.

"Where've you been?" She questioned, furrowing her brow as Margo took up the spot beside her.

"Sorry, I couldn't shake Edith off." She replied. "She was following me for a little while, but I'm pretty sure I lost her."

"Wouldn't be surprised if she's watching us right now." Lauren spoke, narrowing her eyes and spinning her gaze around the whole park. "That girl creeps me out."

"Hmm..." Margo said, turning away so she couldn't see her vicious frown. She didn't like people talking smack about her family, but she was really in no mood for arguments.

"So anyway..." Avery spoke, sensing the slight increase in tension. "Where should we go?"

"Hang on." Lauren replied quickly. "My brother hasn't got here yet."

"Brother?" Margo inquired, twisting her face in confusion. "I didn't realize you had a brother."

"You never asked." Lauren responded bluntly. Margo didn't bother hiding her aggressive frown that time. "He's my twin brother. Probably one of the best and most interesting brothers as well. He plays in a rock band and one of his songs has over 200 hits on YouTube. He's only 13!"

Margo had to resist the urge to scoff mockingly. 200 hits was nothing when it came to YouTube. Plus, Jack was probably a much more interesting brother. I mean, how can you get more interesting than a former intimidator for a villain organization, who saved his own sister's lives on two separate occasions? You can't.

"Hmm...he sounds...cool." She replied with a slight tinge of sarcasm, one of which Lauren thankfully didn't pick up on.

"Oh, here he is now!" She announced, pointing to him. Margo twisted her head and followed her finger, where she was met by a tall, brown-haired, muscley boy, who wore a grey tank top and ripped jeans. Her mouth fell agape, just like it did the first time she saw Antonio.

"Hey, Lau." He said, his voice just as deep as his appearance suggested, only seeming to make him more dreamy. "What's going on?"

"Not much." She replied with a shrug. "Just waiting for you."

"Ah." He replied. He turned and gave Avery a nod and then fixed his gaze onto Margo. He inspected her for a second, as if he was checking whether or not she was safe, before smirking and giving her his full attention. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Chester."

"Uh...Margo." She replied, mouth still fully-open in shock.

"Hmm...interesting name." He said with a nod. Margo was completely unsure of how to respond to that, probably because her conscience was completely clouded by that familiar feeling again. Thankfully, Avery perked up, electing Margo to regain her senses momentarily.

"So, again, where should we go?" She asked. The four remained silent in contemplation for a few seconds, before finally, Chester came up with a suggestion.

"I say we try the lake." He said, still wearing that proud grin. He could sense Margo's deep stare in the side of his head, and it was adding to his already inflated ego. "There's a tonne of skimming stones down there. I wanna see if I can beat my record."

"Sounds good to me." Lauren said, beaming. "Avery?"

"Yeah, cool." She replied with a shrug. "Margo?"

Margo didn't respond. Instead, her senses had got lost in his voice again. After a few seconds of awkward silence, in which the three were staring at her in confusion, she shook her head and tried to speak coherently.

"Oh! Uh...um...yeah." She said, not making eye contact with Chester. "That...sounds...pretty fun."

Chester chuckled, enjoying how awkwardly she was speaking, before strutting off towards the trio's desired destination. Avery and Lauren followed, the latter giving Margo a look of complete bewilderment, as if she was embarrassed to be seen with her. Margo did her best to ignore it and concentrated on walking properly, which was proving difficult as the image of Chester's cute grin still dominated her vision.

She had to keep herself together. She couldn't let herself get upset over another boy. Flashbacks of that idiot Antonio reappeared in her mind, and the memories of how she felt came flooding back. That feeling of rejection was painful. A pain on the inside that seemed to linger for longer than she was comfortable with. She knew that if she went chasing after this Chester boy, the same thing could happen again.

But, for some reason, she found herself pacing very close alongside him, doing her best to avoid eye-contact. She felt her heart beat faster the closer she got, and even faster every time he opened his mouth to speak. She was incredibly fearful of saying or doing the wrong thing, and she had no clue as to a reason why. But even though she had no explanations, she was very familiar with this feeling.

And she was also familiar with what the next few weeks were going to entail...

* * *

Edith strolled slowly down the sidewalk, her eyes fixed to the ground in a tired frown as she walked. The idea of going out and making her own fun had proved to be a failure. After spending an hour searching for her older sister when she got away, she finally gave up and got on with the small list of activities she had thought up.

She started by venturing the nearby woods, searching for any interesting insects. She ended up finding some pretty cool looking spider, but unfortunately, it managed to escape and she couldn't find it again afterward. After twenty minutes of aimless exploration, which got boring quickly, Edith decided to just get on with the next activity.

She made her way over to the soccer field, where she saw a group of teenage boys playing a five-a-side game. She approached them and asked if she could play, getting a few scornful frowns as a response. Not taking no for an answer, she joined in and kicked the ball down the field before running after it. After a few seconds of sprinting as fast as she could, the other boys unable to keep up, she shot the ball into the bottom corner, electing a chorus of gasps to surround the field. Unfortunately, clearly jealous of her skill, the boys took the ball back and shooed her away.

Finally, she traveled to the library, the weight of the kazoo in her pocket bringing an evil smirk to her face as she walked through the door. She hid behind one of the bookshelves, before fishing out the aforementioned item and blowing as hard as she could into it. The extremely loud and infuriating noise rang around the whole room, startling a few men and women out of their skin as their books fell to the floor. After a few seconds of holding back a booming giggle, the woman behind the desk found her hiding spot and kicked her out, handing her a lifetime ban in the process.

Now, she was making her way back to the house, a vicious scowl dominating her expression. Jack was right. She was extremely bored. When she got back to the house, she could still join in on the unicorn game, but why on earth would she do that? That sounded even more boring than aimlessly strolling.

Finally, the house came into view. She glanced at it with a sigh, taking her hands out of her pocket, before walking towards the front door. But just as she was about to take the first step onto the front lawn, a voice from behind interrupted her, making her huff in exasperation as she quickly realized who it belonged to.

"H-Hey, E-Edith."

Edith slowly turned to face Charlie, who was awkwardly glancing at her with his head down.

"Well if it isn't the stutter-er..." She said, crossing her arms. Charlie shifted his gaze to the floor immediately, that feeling of fear taking over his senses once again. Edith eyed him up for a few seconds, still attempting to uncover the reasoning behind his constant wariness, before noticing the small white bag in his hands.

"Is that...a party bag?" She asked, pointing at it.

"Oh. Uh...yeah." Charlie replied. "D-Did you n-not get o-one?"

"No!" Edith stated loudly and aggressively, prompting Charlie to flinch slightly. Why didn't she get one? In fact, for that matter, why didn't Agnes get one either? Then, it clicked. Jack's rude introduction probably took them off the party bag list, and probably rid them of another invite.

"W-Well, y-you can h-have m-mine if you w-want." Charlie spoke, holding out the bag to her. Edith peered down at it in confusion for a moment, before looking back at the strange boy with the same expression.

"Why?"

"I-I dunno..." He said with a shrug. "T-To be n-nice."

Edith's frown finally faded for the first time in half-an-hour. It replaced itself with an expression of indifference. She took the bag from his grasp and turned away sheepishly.

"Uh...thanks." She muttered quietly. Charlie gave her a barely noticeable nod, followed by his usual fearful shift in direction. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Charlie perked up again, but didn't move his gaze.

"D-Do you wanna...I d-dunno...go h-hang out." He mumbled. Edith winced slightly, imagining what would happen if she got caught hanging around with this strange boy. There was no way she could accept, but considering what he had just done, she also didn't want to hurt his feelings. The party bag gesture was very kind of him.

"Well...um...I'd love to, but..." She said skittishly. "I've got some important stuff to do."

"Oh," Charlie replied, lowering his head sadly and giving a small nod of reluctant acceptance. "Alright."

"I'll...uh...see you around." Edith said quickly before turning around and darting for the front door. Charlie raised his head and watched her disappear into the house. He kept his eyes locked onto hers, watching as she slammed the door closed at speed.

"Yeah...see you around."

Edith sighed weakly as she emerged into the downstairs hallway. That was horribly awkward. She was really unsure as to what was going on with that boy, and the niggling question kept bugging her. As she started towards her bedroom, Jack and Agnes came bounding through the living room doorway, the young girl laughing hysterically as she sat on his shoulders.

Edith looked up at her sister and brother with a frown, inspecting the two of them as they came to a halt. Agnes wore a massive smile, one of which Edith hadn't seen on her since being readopted, while Jack's cheeks were a shade of dark red, his expression curled into one of complete joy.

"Hey, Edith!" He yelled, giving her a large, beaming smile. "Love to chat and all but me and Agnes need to get to the glitter forest."

"It's urgent!" Agnes boomed through her uncontrollable giggling. Jack couldn't help but giggle along with her. "All of the unicorn magic is being stolen by the evil elves!"

"We must hurry!" He proclaimed as he began running down the hallway, Agnes cheering gleefully as she clung tightly to his neck. Edith's watched the two disappear with her mouth agape. After a few seconds, her stunned mind finally allowed her to respond.

"Um...okay." She mumbled.

* * *

"Come on! Just move already!" Fiona bellowed angrily, slamming her palm down on the horn, producing that familiar irritating honk noise. The traffic on the highway was unbearable, forcing all of the cars upon it to come to a complete halt. The more time she spent staring at the dozens of equally frustrated drivers in front of her, the more painful her pounding headache was becoming.

She knew that if she still had her old job right now, she wouldn't be in this mess. When she was working there, she was entitled to free air transport, to and from home. But unfortunately, you can't rewrite the past, and the boss of the IVB had decided to relieve her of her duties around an hour before the whole organization exploded in a huge mushroom cloud. Literally.

Now, she was stuck in a numbingly tedious job of stacking shelves at her local supermarket, where she was also forced to come to the aid of any entitled shoppers who were having trouble finding their next bottle of cod-liver oil. God, how she wished for her old job back.

Being the receptionist for a huge villain organization was incredibly exciting. Each and every day, you'd see or hear something new. You were even given a multitude of extensive perks, including full health and dental care and immediate compensation if you were injured in any way. Everything before-hand had been perfect. But now, everything was boring and unfulfilling. What was even the point anymore?

Suddenly, the sounds of a very loud aircraft came booming from above, startling her and many of the other drivers around her. She perked her head out of the window, and was shocked by the sight of a massive magnet, hovering over her car and slowly lifting her into the air.

She shrieked in fear, looking down as her vehicle ascended further and further away from the highway below. Soon, the aircraft belted forward, forcing her to grasp onto the driver's seat in order to stop herself from being flung out of the rear window.

After a minute of pure fear and adrenaline, the aircraft slowed and began descending. Fiona took a reluctant glance out of the window, just in time for her car to lightly land back on the ground, directly in front of her house. She stared at it in disbelief.

She fumbled with the door handle and quickly exited the vehicle, looking up at the small helicopter-like aircraft that was floating above her car. She spluttered in shock, alternating her stunned expression between her car and her house, before finally being interrupted by an unrecognizable man, who opened the driver's side window of the aforementioned aircraft.

"So, now that I've done you afavour..." He exclaimed, making Fiona furrow her brow in complete bewilderment. "You need to do one for me!"

* * *

Nigel pulled up into the parking lot of his apartment complex. The depressing sight of the disgruntled building depressed him even further. As he guessed, he could locate no other piece of information on Venin, even after another five hours of research. God, why was he such a degenerate!?

He pushed the car door open and slammed it shut angrily. He had decided that he had reached his limit. If Gru began chastising him tomorrow, he was going to kick off. He didn't care anymore. He just wanted to rid himself of all of this stress and frustration. At least he had a nice night out to look forward to. He made his way over to his apartment door, where he was shocked to find it open a crack.

 _'Oh, god no...'_ He thought to himself. The last thing he needs right now is a breaking and entering. He apprehensively wandered up and opened it fully, expecting to see every possession he owned stolen. Thankfully, however, the inside of the apartment looked perfectly fine. Nothing was stolen and everything seemed perfectly fine. So, why was the door open?

"Hello!" He called out once entering through the open doorway. There was no sight of anyone inside, or even any indication that someone had been inside at one point. He shrugged and deduced that he probably left it open on accident this morning.

He turned around to close the door behind him, not expecting to be hit across the head with a crowbar by an unknown figure, knocking him unconscious almost instantly...

* * *

Gru and Lucy pulled into the driveway of the house, the former sporting an expression of irritated fatigue. Today's mission had been a fairly stressful one, taking up seven hours of the couple's day. The reason it took so long, was that a small gang of villains went around causing damage to multiple different landmarks simultaneously, meaning the duo had to travel all around the country just to keep up with each one of them. However, Gru did receive a very hefty paycheck for doing so, almost reaching a five-digit number, so it was definitely worth it in the end.

The couple unlocked the door and entered the house, both of them letting out a huge sigh of relief as they walked in. It was great to be back home. It was also great to see the home still intact. Considering Jack was basically a clone of Edith, the house being burned to the ground or being exploded into millions of small fragments was definitely a possibility.

The two continued down the hallway and entered the living room, where they observed Jack and Edith sitting on the floor, playing a fighting video game on the TV, Agnes sitting just behind them, watching the two intently, and Margo slouched on the sofa, resting her head against her palm and seeming lost within her own thoughts.

"Hey everyone." Gru mumbled tiredly, giving them all a weak smile. The only one who turned around and acknowledged them was Agnes, who beamed brightly.

"Mommy! Daddy!" She yelped, jumping up and running over to the couple to give them a huge cuddle. Gru and Lucy chuckled as they bent down to meet her, the small girl rapidly alternating her hugs between the two of them.

"How was the party?" Lucy inquired, slightly cut off by another hug.

"So _fuunnnnnn_!" Agnes cheered. "I got to run and prance and bounce around and I met a new friend and Jack almost punched someone."

Gru and Lucy simultaneously peered up at the teenager with a frown, who rapidly started slamming one of the buttons on his controller. After a few seconds, the TV blurted out 'WINNER', prompting Jack to cheer and Edith to sigh loudly.

"Come on!" She sulked as she crossed her arms, stopping herself from lobbing the controller across the room at the last second. That was the fourteenth time Jack had beaten her in a row.

"Are you sure you've played this game before?" Jack teased, smirking proudly.

"Shut up..." Edith mumbled, locking her arms together even tighter. Jack chuckled as he quickly diverted his attention to the AVL duo.

"How was work?" He asked jubilantly.

"Tireeng." Gru replied, still retaining his frown. "Jack...what have I told yoo about puncheeng people een publeec!?"

"I can't remember." He replied with a shrug. "To be honest, I wasn't listening."

"Well, leesten now den!" Gru yelled. "Don't do eet!"

"Well, he was talking rudely to Edith, so what else was I supposed to do?" Jack retorted calmly. "Also, I didn't even punch him."

"Den don't threaten to either!" Gru demanded, sighing and rolling his eyes. Instead of responding, Jack gave a sharp scowl and returned his gaze to the TV. Just before he started the fifteenth round with Edith, Agnes bounded over and tapped her older sister's shoulder.

"Can I have a go?" She asked politely.

"No." Edith answered rudely, refusing to turn around and meet her gaze.

"But you've been playing for an hour!" Agnes argued. "It's my turn!"

"How about you come back in another hour?" Edith replied briskly, finally turning to show off her vicious frown. Agnes's expression grew more aggressive, preparing her next move of holding her breath, before Jack leaned over and offered her his controller.

"Here you go, Agnes." He said happily. "You can use mine."

Agnes cheered joyfully as she took the controller from out of his grasp. She moved across to take over Jack's previous spot on the floor, giving him a small hug as he moved out of the way for her.

"What!?" Edith questioned angrily. "I don't wanna play her!"

"Well...it's not all about _you_ , is it Edith?" Jack retorted, feeding her a tone that was a little more aggressive than she was used to. Edith gave him a shocked and insulted expression, before promptly turning around back to the TV with a huge frown.

"Hey." Gru said as he slumped down on the sofa, startling Margo with his unexpected greeting. "Yoo okay?"

"Oh." Margo said, shaking her dazed head a little. She didn't even notice them come in. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Lucy asked as she took up the spot beside her husband. "Cuz you looked a little zoned out."

"Yeah, I was just...thinking." Margo replied, giving her mother and father a reassuring smile. For some reason, she felt a little guilty. She didn't lie. She _had_ been thinking. But possibly, it was because Gru probably wouldn't have approved of _what_ she was thinking about. "How was work?"

"Not fun." Gru said, shaking his head. "We've been here, dere and everywhere today. I'm absolutely shattered."

"Yeah, me too..." Lucy spoke, slumping back into the sofa.

"Too shattered to cook...?" Margo questioned, leaning forward hopefully.

"Nice try." Gru replied, chuckling as he ruffled his eldest daughter's hair. "Not dat shattered, unfortunately."

Just as Gru finished his sentence, the TV let out another 'WINNER', prompting Agnes to celebrate and Jack to let out a huge shocked yelp.

"No way!" He cheered, giving the youngest sibling a big high-five as she beamed proudly. "Nice one Agnes!"

Edith couldn't believe her own eyes. This wasn't happening. Surely, Agnes hadn't just beaten her at a fighting game. Unfortunately for her, the health bars on-screen were telling a different story. She had just lost to a six-year-old. Could this day get any worse!? She dropped the controller to the floor and lowered her hat over her eyes, hoping to hide from the embarrassment.

Jack looked to his younger sister, whose frown was large and aggressive, and decided to stay quiet. From having dealt with people doing it to him, he knew that teasing someone with an angry personality when they've just been embarrassed, always ended in pain. And now that he knew that she could pack a fairly decent punch, he actually felt a little intimidated.

 _'That's my sis...'_ He thought to himself. He grinned as he gave Agnes a pinch on the cheek, making her giggle, before standing up and moving over to sit beside Lucy on the couch.

"So, Jack...how's de job search goeeng?" Gru asked suddenly. By his tone, he was using that specific question as a tool to berate him.

"Huh?" He responded, giving him a look of bewilderment.

"Yoo _have_ been searcheeng for a job, right?" Gru continued, lowering his voice. He already knew the answer. "I mean, yoo can't expect to seet around de house forever, can yoo?"

"Oh...I guess not." Jack replied quietly, dropping his head in sadness.

"So, weel yoo start searching?"

"Yeah...I guess." Jack muttered, not making eye-contact with him. "I'll...start tomorrow."

"Good." Gru stated happily, nodding before standing up. "Anyway, I should probably start on deener. I'll call yoo all een a beet."

After he left the room, Lucy, Margo and Agnes began conversing happily while Edith continued sulking in annoyance. Jack, on the other hand, kept himself unusually quiet as he looked to the ground with a dejected frown. Getting a job didn't sound very exciting, so why should he have to do it?

He just wanted to keep on having fun. He just wanted to play with his sisters all day long. He just wanted to enjoy every day that came. If he got a job, he would barely have the chance to have fun, barely have the chance to play with his sisters, and barely enjoy every day that came.

He couldn't let that happen...

* * *

The night was silent. The breeze was cold. The darkness was eerie. Not a peep nor sound could be heard along the barren road beside Crestfall forest, where Dru was standing around and waiting. He looked down to his digital watch, which displayed '10:58PM', and felt his heart skip a beat in anxiety.

In two minutes, Dru was about to meet up with his next villain partner. He was incredibly fearful of saying the wrong thing, and the pressure was causing him to dread the all-important conversation. This had to go well. No exceptions.

Soon enough, two bright lights appeared at the end of the road, indicating that a car was approaching. Dru felt a lump form in his throat and had to try his hardest to swallow it back down. But, as the unrecognizable vehicle got closer, more and more fear drowned Dru's thoughts.

Before he knew it, the vehicle, which could now be identified as a limo, pulled up beside him. Dru inspected the windows closely, but the extremely dark tint made it impossible to see through. Barely audible voices could be heard from inside, prompting Dru to inch closer in an attempt to eavesdrop.

But, just took as he took a step forward, the doors flung open quickly and startled him back into his original position. Two hench figures dressed in black tuxedos, who were presumably bodyguards, exited the car, proceeded by a tall man and a shorter woman. Dru eyed them up, attempting to extract as many details about them as possible.

There wasn't much to say about the woman. She was brown-haired, looked around forty years old, and stood at around 5'4". She wore a dark red turtleneck and black joggers, a combination that didn't seem to work together.

The man, on the other hand, was around 6'3". He wore a woolly green jumper, embroidered with the letter V. His biceps were of decent size, not exactly huge but definitely not average. He had a tattoo of a flaming python on his left arm, and another tattoo of two diamonds on his right. However, the most striking trait about his appearance was the black mask obscuring his entire face, bar from his eyes and mouth.

"Are you...Dru?" The man asked darkly. Dru gulped quietly before responding in a fearful tone.

"Uh...um...dat would be me." He replied, gritting his teeth a little. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Suddenly, the man's ferocious expression replaced itself with a charming grin. He approached and offered his hand, beginning formalities.

"Nice to finally meet you." He spoke with an evident cheer in his voice. Dru accepted the handshake and relaxed a little, returning his smile. "I do apologize for being so rude and brief on the phone. You must understand that I had to be cautious, for I wasn't completely sure if you were really who you were claiming to be."

"No, no, I get eet." Dru responded, giving him a nod. "I do assure yoo dat I am Dru."

"I can see that now." He responded, moving his eyes down to the villain's feet and slowly lifting it back to his head. Dru felt like he was being scanned by a machine. "I have seen images of you before, and you're the exact representation. I must add, I've read up on your work, and I found it rather impressive."

"Yoo deed?" Dru inquired with a proud grin.

"Indubitably." The man replied. "From what I've heard, you were part of the group that took down the IVB, am I correct?"

"Uh...yoo sure are!" Dru proclaimed with a rapid nod.

"I must say," He stated. "I am both impressed and thankful for what you did. I never liked the IVB. They were never who they claimed to be. Just a bunch of greedy businessmen, going around brainwashing children and tricking evil-doers."

"Very true." The woman beside him finally spoke, unexpectedly grabbing their attentions. It was now that Dru noticed that she had been eyeing up coldly the entire time.

"Now, I don't believe we've introduced ourselves." The man spoke, lifting his head a little. "I am Venin, and this Fiona. As I said earlier, I am planning a huge evil plan, possibly one of the evilest plans ever conceived, and I want _you_ to be a part of it."

"I can't thank yoo enough for eencluding me." Dru spoke. "I have to admeet, villainy was getteeng a leetle boreeng."

"I understand what you mean." Venin agreed. "Heists do get very repetitive after a while. But I can assure you, this scheme that I have devised will certainly bring the spark back into villainy."

"I can't wait!" Dru yelped, beaming. "So...what ees de plan?"

"Before I tell you," Venin spoke, lifting his finger to point at him. "I need to know how committed you are."

"Oh..." Dru replied with unease. "Well...how can I prove dat I am?"

Venin smirked evilly before slowly shifting his gaze to one of his bodyguards. After using his head to motion towards the boot of the limo, Venin gestured for Fiona and Dru to follow him, leading them to stand behind the vehicle.

"How do you feel about torture, Dru?" Venin asked, retaining that evil grin. Dru nodded his head, giving the masked man an uncertain smile.

"Eet's a useful tool." He replied apprehensively. Venin returned his nod, seeming satisfied.

"Good." He spoke. He quickly turned his gaze back to the bodyguard, who was patiently awaiting his cue. "Release him."

The bodyguard opened up the boot and pulled out a man in a black suit and a white tie. His mouth had been taped closed and his hands and legs had been tied up. He squirmed desperately to free himself, but judging by how they still looked firm, the bands were clearly too tight. The bodyguard threw him down to the ground, the air being penetrated by the sound of a muffled squeal as he hit the floor hard.

"Dru, Fiona, I'd like you to meet Nigel." Venin spoke, looming over him as he lay on the ground in total terror. "Through the use of IP tracking, I managed to gather this lad's internet history. He has been spending the whole day, going through article after article, attempting to locate information on me. I don't necessarily appreciate that, and I would quite like to know why he has been hounding the internet in search of me."

Dru gawked down at the man, observing how his eyes were filled up with petrified tears. He was continuing to squirm uncomfortably as muffled screams came protruding from his mouth. If this is how he was going to prove his commitment, then...

Oh no.

"Fiona, would you please remove the tape for me?" Venin requested.

"My pleasure." Fiona stated coldly as she kneeled down and ripped the tape from his mouth. Nigel took in a deep breath before pleading with a tone of absolute fright.

"Please don't hurt me!" He yelped. "I'm sorry okay!"

"Fiona, please demonstrate your interrogation technique." Venin spoke, his hands behind his back as he prepared himself to watch this display. Oh, how he wished for a bag of popcorn right now. Dru could do nothing but continue to gawk in shock.

"Will do." She replied, before cracking her foot against the back of Nigel's head, causing him to yelp in pain. "So...care to explain why you've been stalking my friend here?"

"I-It's my j-job." Nigel whimpered. "I w-was f-forced to. Just p-please don't k-kill me."

Fiona kicked him in the back of the head a few more times in succession, causing Nigel to transition from painful yelps to anguished cries.

"Who do you work for!?" She yelled after placing one last thumping kick into his cranium.

"The...the...the AVL." Nigel mumbled quietly. A small drop of blood ran down his forehead, adding to his complete state of fear.

"Ah, so he works for those cretins." Fiona said, lifting her head and making eye-contact with Venin. "Anything else you wanna know?"

"Yes." He replied. "But I think you've adequately shown your capability in interrogation. Excellent work. Dru, would you please step in for her?"

"Uh...s-sure." He replied apprehensively. He moved across to stand over Nigel, who was sobbing in fear, and felt a small wave of guilt blanket his mind. If this was what he had to do to get the spice back into his life, then so be it. He booted him hard in the stomach, forcing another cry out of his lungs.

"What do de AVL want weeth heem!?" He asked, trying his hardest to sound intimidating and ferocious. It was quite hard to do that when you have a voice mirroring that of a mouse.

"They...they just...they want to-"

Dru kicked him again, this time harder, before kneeling down and picking him up by his hair.

"SPEET EET OUT!" He screamed. Nigel began uncontrollably crying.

"They're tracking him okay!" He yelled. He tried his hardest to keep his voice from quivering, in order to keep his sentences coherent. "He's wanted for many different accounts of murder, abductions and thefts, and they want to bring him to justice! That's all I've got!"

Dru dropped him back to the ground with a painful thud and turned to Venin, who was glowing brightly, and used his expression to question him. The masked villain peered down at Nigel as he sobbed in both pain and fear, giving a prompt nod.

"I think we're done here." He spoke. He gestured towards the limo, instructing his two new partners to follow on. "Very impressive work, Dru. I think it's time we discussed the plan, don't you?"

Dru gave an excited squeal as he pranced into the back of the limo, Fiona following behind with a frown of pure exasperation. Just before Venin jumped in with them, he passed a handgun over to one of the bodyguards and gave him an instructive expression.

"Ensure our little friend here won't bother us again." He said, giving the guard a wink as he gestured his head to Nigel's disgruntled figure. The bodyguard promptly nodded in understanding. He cradled the weapon in anticipation as he shifted his direction towards the AVL employee. The limo's engine started up, sending the vehicle off down the road at speed. Nigel, who was beginning to feel a lot safer, peered up and caught a glimpse of the guard as he approached him.

"What are you-"

 **BANG!**

Dru stared out of the window, his mind taken over by a sense of pure excitement. As he played out the fun and folly that this new style of villainy should provide...

...he had no clue what kind of mess he was getting himself into.

* * *

 _Another chapter comes to an end._

 _If you enjoyed it, consider dropping a review. Reading people's opinions usually pushes me into writing the next chapter._


	3. The Funnest Place on Earth

**Chapter Three -  
** _ **The Funnest Place on Earth**_

The black quickly turned to a sharp shine of white. My eyes creaked open slowly, helping me to identify the bright light on the ceiling. Incredible, unforgiving pain bound itself along my face, chest, stomach and legs. Every muscle in my body heaved under the intense pressure my nerves were creating. It was almost unbearable.

Voices could be heard from my left. Even though they were loud and coherent, I couldn't make out the conversation. Occasionally, I would hear them say my name, indicating that I was one of the topics being discussed.

The light continued to pound against my open eyes, forcing me to blink in pain. God, why was it so bright in here!? For that matter, where even was _here_? Where was I?

I slowly, but surely, turned my head to inspect the room, against the will of the discomfort in my neck. At first, more sources of light became apparent, making it hard to identify anything of recognition within the room.

Then, the voices got louder. The conversation, however, still remained entirely incomprehensible. As I began moving, the use of my name seemed to increase.

And finally, the light eased and three figures became noticeable. One, was a doctor. He looked smart and professional, sharing his attention between me and the clipboard in his hands. Another, was a nurse. She looked kind yet concerned, taking a few quick glances at the doctor's notes. The last person however, was...

... _him_.

His face was no longer red. His fists were no longer clenched. His eyes were no longer dangerous. However, he still looked filled to the brim with resentment. He was very clearly trying, and failing, to hide it.

Look away. Don't meet his gaze. Rid him of your attention.

However, I was still looking at him. I was still meeting his gaze. I was still giving him my attention. His face scared me more than anything. Those features caused my thoughts to stir in anguish. Why did it hurt so much to look at him? Memories, possibly. Reminders, most likely. Hatred, definitely.

So then...why couldn't I look away?

Suddenly, everything around me disappeared, the room transitioning to a blank space of pure white. The doctor, the nurse, the equipment. It all vanished. Me and _him_ were the only people occupying the room now.

No. Don't leave me with him. Please. Someone. Anyone.

JUST GET HIM AWAY!

* * *

Jack sat up quickly, breathing heavily and sweating profusely. He opened his eyes and spun his gaze around the bedroom before him, calming down after realizing that it was just a dream. His forehead burned under the fear plaguing his temple and his heart raced with the rapid sparks of fright running through his veins.

"Not again..." He muttered under his breath, his low voice quivering in fear. He hated bad dreams, especially ones that replayed the horrible moments within his past. He turned to face the clock on the bedside table, frustrated to see the red LEDs read '7:28AM'. This was a lot earlier than he usually woke up.

There was no way he could go back to sleep, not with the possibility of another nightmare. So, what could he do? Today was the day that he was meant to go out and find a job, but he really didn't want to have to do that. There would be no fun involved in getting a job. If he didn't, Gru would probably chase him up and force him into doing so, so how could he get out of it. Maybe, he could just...

...go out.

He leaped out of bed and got himself dressed, ignoring the ferocious sting at the back of his eyelids. He almost flung the door of its hinges as he exited into the hallway towards the kitchen. The first objective on his mental tasklist was to get a good cup of coffee.

* * *

Dru and Fiona sat on a small round table in a large hall, awaiting for Venin to return. He had left a few minutes ago to set up a presentation, claiming that he would only take a few minutes. Dru prayed that he was telling the truth, as the awkward silence within the room was painful. Fiona was slumped in her seat, wearing a dark frown and emitting occasional exasperated huffs.

At the moment, the two were located in Venin's undercover hideout. It wasn't anything extravagant, being located within a very small building downtown. The interior consisted of three rooms, while the exterior was disguised as a cheap law firm. If anyone entered the building in search of an actual lawyer, they would be immediately knocked unconscious, have their memories erased, and then finally, dumped into the nearby forest. Venin had considered extermination, but decided that the current method reduced the chances of suspicion.

"So...uh...how deed yoo and Venin meet?" Dru asked timidly. Small talk, especially with someone he'd just met, was not his specialty. Fiona gave him a short, yet incredibly sharp, glance before huffing again.

"He did me a favour." She muttered, crossing her arms. "So now, I'm returning it."

"What kind of favour?" Dru inquired. Fiona massaged her temple, which was beginning to ache with both frustration and fatigue, before snapping with an aggressive response.

"Just... _a favour_!" She exclaimed. "Look, can we just go back to silence please?"

"Oh...eef yoo want." Dru replied with a shrug. He turned away sheepishly, looking to the ground with a dejected frown. One of the main factors involved in pulling off a successful evil scheme, was chemistry. He got along well with Venin, but this woman seemed quite, for lack of a better word, unfriendly.

Finally, after another two minutes of agonizing silence, Venin and one of his bodyguards emerged through the door at the end of the room. The masked villain moved over to stand in front of the round table, while the bodyguard stood over to the left and kept watch. The moment that Venin was in front of his two new partners, he lifted his head and smiled proudly.

"Okay, let's get down to details." He spoke. He reached into his pocket and fished out a small remote, before lifting it into the air and pressing one of the buttons. A projector, that Dru and Fiona hadn't noticed beforehand, came to life and beamed a presentation onto the large wall in front of them. The opening slide was a plain white background decorated with block text that read 'EVIL PLAN #2812'.

 _'Wow! Dat's a lot of evil plans.'_ Dru thought to himself. _'Dis guy must be a professional.'_

"Now, this plan is not going to be easy, nor is it going to be short and snappy." Venin stated. "Chances are, we could be looking at three weeks worth of preparation, which, as you should know, is an especially long time when it comes to evil plans."

Dru nodded in agreement, while Fiona gave a barely recognizable shrug. She may have worked for an evil organization, but she never got herself wound up within the details of each and every little plan. How was she supposed to know the average length of an evil scheme?

Venin pressed another button on the small remote, making the presentation transition to the next slide. Upon it, was another white background overlayed with more block text. This time, it read 'END OBJECTIVE: TAKE OVER THE UNITED STATES'.

"Woahhhh!" Dru gawked, smirking slightly. "Are yoo being serious?"

"Of course." Venin proclaimed, returning the smirk. "By going through each stage of my plan successfully, I should be able to take over as president of the United States, and you two can be my right-hand duo!"

Dru squealed in excitement, bouncing in his seat energetically. Becoming the president's right-hand man would do more than spice up his life. It would change it all for the better. Fiona, on the other hand, reacted differently. She scoffed and crossed her arms, implanting a fierce gaze upon Venin.

"How come _you_ get to be the president?" She questioned.

"Because it's _my_ plan!" Venin retorted. By the way in which he responded, you would think he was a spoiled brat who had been denied another chocolate bar.

"Well, what if I want to be more than just some petty little right-hand pushover?" She replied.

"Well then, maybe Plan B is more your speed." He stated with a shrug. "You see, in that plan, you can go back to your crummy, dead-end supermarket job. I'm sure stacking shelves with cans of baked beans would be a lot more exciting."

Fiona narrowed her eyes at him, giving him a deadly expression, before slumping further into her seat with a deep, aggressive huff.

"Carry on..." She muttered. She guessed that being close to the president did offer her existence some sort of reasoning.

"With pleasure." Venin responded venomously. He pressed a button on the remote again, displaying a slide with a picture of some sort of repeating cycle. "Now, I don't know how much knowledge you two have with businesses, but when a project needs to be completed, they go through a project life-cycle, which consists of four different phases. Those four phases include initiation, planning, execution, and finally, closure."

"What does dat have to do weeth anytheeng?" Dru asked. His excited grin was still lingering.

"Good question." Venin responded, pointing the mini-remote at the blonde villain. "You see, when I get a good evil plan, I use the project life-cycle to ensure it is completed in decent quality. Which means, I start with a simple initiation task, proceed to plan the actual scheme itself, execute what I need to get it started, and close with one final mission, sure to complete the end objective at hand. By going through all of that, each and every scheme will provide both excitement and results."

"Sounds...complicated." Dru responded, twisting his face in confusion. "What do yoo mean by an _eeneetiation_ task?"

"Another good question." Venin proclaimed, giving Fiona a small angry glance, as if to ask why _she_ wasn't asking any decent questions. "I usually go through with a little practice heist, such as stealing something valuable. I don't have much of an idea for this phase, so that's what I thought we could decide upon today. Any ideas?"

Fiona turned away, her face still dominated by a sulking frown, pretending to think of an idea. All she could think about, however, was just how stupid this was beginning to sound. What's the point in doing a 'practice' heist? Can't they just get on with the actual plan?

Dru looked down to his feet for a second, racking his mind in search of a good idea. After a few seconds of thought, it finally clicked in his mind.

"Oh, I know!" He announced, jumping up happily. "Before yoo rang me yesterday, me and my assistant were theenking of stealeeng de Madonna di Loreto from Rome. Maybe we could use dat as an eeneetiation task?"

"Hmm...I believe I am familiar with that." Venin responded, nodding his head. "Is that the painting in Sant'Agostino?"

"Dat's de one!" Dru stated, punching the air with joy. Venin grinned happily.

"Fantastic!" He cheered. "Looks like we have our practice heist. Let's not waste any time!"

Dru and Fiona got up from their seats, the former bouncing around in excitement, before accompanying Venin out of the room. The masked villain obscured himself within a thick hoodie before leaving the secret hideout. Their next destination...

...Rome!

* * *

Edith snuggled under her covers, enjoying the warmth and comfort as she lay fast asleep. Bouncing at the party and going out on an exploration trip, all on the same day, really ate up her energy quickly, meaning she went to bed early the night before. But, being the deep sleeper that she was, still remained completely dormant at 10am.

That was until Jack shook her inanimate figure, forcing her awake.

"Edith!" He yelled, jerking her back and forth. "Come on! Wake up!"

She rolled over with a long moan of discomfort, slowly easing her tired eyes open. Beside her bed, she spied Jack, Margo and Agnes, who were simply standing there, watching her. Each one of them possessed their own individual beaming smile.

"Ugh...go away." She moaned weakly. "Couldn't you see that I was sleeping?"

"That's the point." Jack replied, pulling her covers off. Edith immediately crawled up into a ball and attempted to conserve heat. The bedroom air was freezing compared to the warmth under the covers. "We've been waiting for you to wake up for an hour now."

"What?" Edith mumbled, shivering a little. "Why?"

"We're going to Super Silly Fun Land!" Agnes blurted gleefully. She leaped into the air, almost tripping over a precariously placed toy, before steadying herself and smiling brightly again.

"We are!?" Edith questioned loudly, sitting up and gaining a sudden jolt of energy. She darted her head towards Jack, who nodded promptly. Edith cheered and leaped up into the air, bouncing on her bomb bed excitedly. During the third jump, Jack leaned forward and caught her mid-air, eyeing the bomb anxiously as it continued to shake. He remembered Gru telling him that it was old and highly unlikely to blow up, but there was still a tiny chance of it doing so...

"It wasn't my idea." He stated, motioning towards Margo, Edith still shaking happily. "It was your sister's."

"Well, you said you wanted to go somewhere fun," Margo said with a shrug. "And Super Silly Fun Land is the funnest place on earth."

"If it's half as cool as it sounds..." Jack started. "Then I can't wait!"

Edith cheered as she squirmed out of his grasp and sprinted over to her wardrobe to get changed, almost tripping over her own feet in excitement. Jack motioned for Margo and Agnes to follow him, the youngest prancing ahead, before making his way towards the bedroom door.

"We'll be in my car when you're ready."

"Wait! Jack?" Edith asked, catching his attention at the last moment. She continued to rummage around in her wardrobe for a second, before holding up two jumpers, one of which was a slightly darker shade of pink than the other. "Which one do you think is cooler?"

Jack eyed her up for a few seconds, trying to figure out whether or not she was actually being serious, before she frowned and huffed with impatience, proving that she wasn't joking. Jack chuckled and pointed at the one with a lighter shade of pink.

"Uh...that one, I guess." He spoke with uncertainty. Edith gave a nod before turning around and rummaging once again, in search of her hose. Jack continued to watch her with a humorous smile, getting lost within thought for a second.

When he felt bad, Edith was probably the only person on earth who could cheer him up by just simply being there. Everytime she would smile, or even do something annoying, Jack couldn't help but brighten up. Sometimes, it made him feel a little guilty for the other two girls. Even though he would never admit it with words, and even though he still loved the other two, he couldn't deny that he loved Edith the most. She was, of course, his _real_ little sister.

He knew that there was no other girl in the world who he could ever love more than Edith.

"Uh...you okay?" She questioned, giving him a strange look as she turned around and spied him at the door, staring at the ceiling. Jack was immediately snapped out of his small trance, remaining confused for a second, before remembering where he was and what was happening.

"Oh...right." He said, shaking his head a little. "Yeah, yeah, I was just thinking. I'll see you in a bit."

He quickly left the room and made his way downstairs. By the sounds of distant voices, Jack deduced that Margo and Agnes had ventured to the kitchen to talk with Gru and Lucy, who must've just woken up.

 _'Damn...'_ He thought to himself. He was hoping to avoid Gru before he left, knowing that he would probably pester him about the whole job thing. Hopefully, he would've forgotten all about it by now. Jack walked down the hallway and entered the kitchen, Gru's head immediately lifting the moment he walked through the doorway.

"So..uh...Super Silly Fun Land, huh?" He questioned, leaning back in his booth seat and crossing his arms. "Deedn't theenk dat was your sort of theeng."

"Yeah, well..." He replied with a small shrug. "I'm a person of many things."

By the way Gru was narrowing his eyes, Jack could tell that he was incredibly suspicious of him. He quickly motioned towards the doorway, locking his gaze onto the two younger girls.

"Come on girls. We need to beat the traffic." He stated. The three left the kitchen promptly, the eldest not looking back for a second. Gru got up from his seat quickly, trying to keep up with them, up until Lucy leaned forward and put a hand in front to stop him.

"Leave him alone, Gru." She said. "He just wants to have some fun with his sisters. He'll get a job eventually."

"I'm not gonna bother heem." Gru responded softly. "I just wanna say bye to de gurls. What's wrong weeth dat?"

Lucy opened her mouth to reply, but just before she could, Gru managed to breach past her blocking hand and dart out of the room. The second that he caught up with the three at the foot of the stairs, Jack widened his eyes and turned away, attempting to act casual.

"Jack, yoo best not be takeeng dem to Super Silly Fun Land just so yoo don't have to-"

"Of course not!" He blurted quickly, not making eye-contact. Before Gru could respond, Jack raced forward and peeked his head up the stairs, calling out loudly. "Edith! Come on!"

"Look, yoo know dat yoo're gonna have to-"

"Mm-hmm!" Jack mumbled loudly, still peeking his head up the stairs. "What is taking her so long!?"

"Don't just eegnore me, Ja-"

"There you are! Come on!" Jack interrupted once more, gesturing his hand as the fully-dressed Edith came into view on the stairs. She very slowly made her way down each step, clearly doing it as a method to frustrate him, before Jack darted up and used one hand to fling her up over his shoulders.

"Hey!" She yelled, trying to squirm out of his vice-grip. He bounded back down to the floor and quickly signaled for the other two to follow him.

"Okay, would love to chat and all but we have to leave. See you later!" He called quickly as he ran down the hallway towards the front door.

"But I have to use the bathroom!" Agnes yelped, as she desperately worked her little feet to keep up with her siblings.

"We can stop at a service stop! We just need to go!" Jack yelled with urgency, flinging the front door open and using his free hand to usher the girls out. After they disappeared, Gru slapped his palm against his forehead and sighed heavily in exasperation.

Having two Edith's around was proving to be a pretty big handful...

* * *

Gru and Lucy emerged from the glass elevator, walking into the briefing room yet again. There were agents littered around the whole room, each one chatting frustratingly loud and moving hurriedly in a state of panic. Compared to the usual quiet and professional atmosphere within the AVL, this was total and utter chaos.

"Hey, hey!" Gru yelped, cutting off the loud voices and replacing it with intimidated silence. Everyone in the room turned to face him, each one wide-eyed and a little afraid. "What's weeth all de commotion!?"

"Director, finally!" Derek replied, strutting up to him quickly. There was a clear sense of dread in his eyes, which Gru found perplexing. "I've been trying to get hold of you all morning!"

"What!? Why!?" Gru snapped. Derek took a deep breath as if he was preparing himself, before looking deep into Gru's eyes.

"We believe Nigel has been kidnapped!" He responded fearfully. His voice cracked a little, showing just how much it hurt to speak that news out loud.

"What!" Gru blurted, giving his wife a short stunned glance, who returned it immediately. "How...why...how deed dis happen?"

"I'm not sure." Derek spoke, shrugging and giving him a deeply saddened look. "He was meant to come over mine for dinner last night, but he never showed. I went over to his apartment this morning to find out why, and his door had been left wide-open. I talked to some of the neighbors, and they told me they heard a huge commotion last night. That's all we have!"

Gru scrunched his face up in anger, clenching his fists in the process.

"We must find heem." He muttered darkly. "Eenform all de agents. Tell dem to gather een de main hall. Dis cannot go unpuneeshed."

Derek gave a quick nod before running off and completing his task. As soon as he disappeared, Lucy turned to face her husband with a deep expression of fear.

"Who could've done this?" She asked. Gru lowered his head in contemplation, his frown growing as he dwelled upon the situation.

"I don't know. Eet could be anyone." He muttered. "But I know one theeng for sure...

"...we _will_ find out who."

* * *

Jack pulled into the parking lot of the enormous theme park, gawking at the huge, yet oddly shaped, rollercoasters built up everywhere. He drove incredibly slowly along the boardwalk, the fear of the wooden planks giving out and drowning his car into the sea being the reason why. How hadn't this whole park just given out and descended into the ocean? He had no clue. Probably something to do with physics or science...or something along those lines.

After taking a whole minute to park up, he and the girls jumped out of the vehicle with a giddy bounce of excitement. The seventeen-year-old took a moment to eye the entire place up. This place definitely _looked_ like the funnest place on earth, so surely it had to be.

"Woah." He muttered. He moved his line of sight across the whole park, taking a second to analyze the rollercoaster. It was racing along the track extremely quickly.

"Come on!" Agnes exclaimed, darting forward at pace. Margo was startled a little as she launched ahead, before sprinting with her in an attempt to keep up, Edith following on shortly behind. Jack continued to watch the ride for a moment, listening profusely to the audible youthful screams coming from the car, before smirking and eyeing up the entrance.

 _'This oughta be fun...'_ He thought to himself.

He ran towards the castle-shaped entrance, managing to keep up with the girls, before immediately directing his attention to the front of the track, where the car was slowing down and allowing a group of four teenage boys to get off. Three of them looked jubliant, while one looked pale and beyond frightened.

 _'Wimp...'_ Jack thought to himself. It was just a kiddy ride. Why did he look so nauseous and afraid? He wasted no time in running forward and paying the surly teenager, who was dressed in a striped shirt and hat, and looked bored beyond belief. As Jack gave him the money, the teen gave him an odd look of confusion. Maybe it was because he looked more excited than the girls, but for whatever reason, Jack didn't care for it. He returned a threatening frown, making him turn away fearfully, before jumping into the second seat of the car.

"You know, I've never been on a rollercoaster before." He mentioned. "Is it anything like being inside a burning jet that's nose-diving towards the ocean?"

"Uh...I'm not sure." Margo responded in confusion, twisting her face. "Has that happened to you?"

"Eh...once or twice." Jack replied with a shrug. Margo gave him an odd look, losing herself in bewilderment, before finally being pulled back into reality by Agnes, who was having trouble getting up onto the seat in front.

"Cool." Edith cooed as she jumped in with her sisters. A second later, the lapbar descended and secured the four in place. The car slowly moved forward up the track, the girls cheering loudly as it gradually traveled through the mouth of a strange yellow creature.

"Is this it?" Jack questioned, giving the girls a look of disappointment.

"Give it a sec." Margo replied. The car decelerated even further, making Jack sigh in boredom, before all of a sudden, it flew downwards at incredible speed. The girls shrieked as the adrenaline kicked in, while Jack screamed in both joy and total fear. This was nothing like being inside a burning jet that was tumbling towards the ocean.

For some reason, possibly because of the unexpected turns and periods of being completely upside down, this was much more frightening.

After a minute of whizzing around the entire park at massive speeds, going through a multitude of weirdly shaped creatures and objects, the car came to a stop and allowed the four to exit. The girls leaped off in satisfaction, each one holding a great smile of happiness, while Jack slowly eased off with a look of pure shock.

"So, how was your first time?" Margo asked, watching as Jack stumbled dizzily down the steps.

"Um..." He mumbled, shaking his head in an attempt to stop the spinning. "AWESOME!"

His stomach, on the other hand, completely disagreed. It was doing all sorts of flips and twists, pain shooting across his whole abdomen as it did so. He desperately tried to ignore it, very slowly strolling forward in a daze as the girls giggled.

"E-Edith!?" A male voice screeched from behind. Edith quickly turned around, shocked to see Charlie and another older girl looking back at her.

"Are...are you following me or something?" She questioned aggressively, making the boy turn away a little in fear.

"N-No..." He muttered, motioning his head towards the teenage girl beside him. "My s-sister was just l-looking for s-something fun to d-do, so I a-asked if we c-could come h-here."

"Why are you stuttering?" The girl asked, looking at her little brother oddly. Charlie put his head down promptly, attempting to hide himself from the embarrassment. Jack, who was still holding onto his dizzy head, turned to the source of the voice and focused in on it.

"Oh..." He spoke quietly, widening his eyes slightly. The girl in front of him had black hair with purple highlights and eye-lash extensions of the same colour. Her sweet perfume was strong, wafting its way over to him and making him grin with satisfaction. She was around 5'7" and looked about Jack's age. She was beautiful. The girl turned to look at him, eyeing him up for a second, before smirking playfully.

"You okay?" She questioned. Jack continued to stare at her wide-eyed for a moment, before giving his head another firm shake, regaining his frayed senses.

"Oh...uh, yeah." He replied, attempting to hold his composure. "Just a little dizzy, that's all. We just came off the rollercoaster..."

"Ah." The girl replied. "Me and Charlie were just about to go on. What's it like?"

"Well...fast," Jack stated. His stomach was still stinging, but he continued to ignore it, hoping it would eventually fade. "But pretty cool."

"Nice." She responded simply with a nod. A short, but still quite awkward, silence fell upon all six of them. After a few seconds, the girl cleared her throat and spoke wearily. "Uh...well, I'm Violet."

"Uh...Jack." He responded. "You new around here?"

"Yeah..." Violet replied. "We moved from Vermont. Our parents decided they didn't like the cold anymore so we-"

"Not that I'm not interested, but..." Jack spoke quickly, grasping onto his stomach. "Could you excuse me for a second?"

He quickly darted to the left and placed his head over the nearest trashcan, where he threw up. Margo and Agnes turned away in disgust, while Edith guffawed. Violet watched him with a confused grin, before chuckling as he lifted his head out with an expression of dismay.

"I'll...uh...see you around." She said. Jack, who was receiving a multitude of disgusted looks from strangers around him, gave her a nod.

"Yeah...cool." He replied weakly, still holding onto his angered stomach. Violet and Charlie scurried off towards the rollercoaster, the latter giving Edith a faint wave. She couldn't return it even if she wanted to, because she was still laughing uncontrollably.

"Are you alright?" Margo asked, still grimacing a little.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Jack replied, moving from the bin with a frown. "Let's just agree to never talk about that again."

"You...you...you threw up in a _trashcan_!" Edith stuttered, almost falling to her knees in laughter.

"Everyone was looking at you." Agnes perked up.

"Couldn't you've just waited until we were near a toilet?" Margo questioned. Jack spun his gaze around all three of them, holding his arms out and snapping angrily.

"What did I _just_ say!?"

* * *

After a few hours of trying out different roller coasters and eating practically every type of candy, the girls and Jack energetically raced through the exit. All four of them had their face painted with different animals, and all of them carried a different type of toy in their hands. Some of them had been bought, while others had been won at the non-rigged stalls.

"That was _so_ _much_ FUN!" Jack proclaimed, prancing towards the car giddily. Just like the girls, he had consumed his fair share of sugar. "We have to come here more often!"

"Woo! Yeah!" Edith cheered. "Let's come back tomorrow!"

"I'm up for that!" Jack replied, nodding happily. The girls all came to a halt and gazed at him in shock.

"Wait...seriously?" Edith questioned.

"Yeah! Why not?" He replied with a shrug. The girls exchanged stunned looks with each other. Every time they tried that with Gru, he would always refuse and state that he'd 'had enough fun for a few days'. Jack, however, seemed like he was more excited by the possibility of coming back than the girls were.

"Pinky promise?" Agnes asked cutely, holding out her hand and extending her pinky. Jack looked down at it and grinned, before doing the same and wrapping his pinky around hers.

"Pinky promise." He announced, prompting each of the girls to punch the air happily. He looked down and admired each one of their beaming smiles. God, how much he loved making them all smile. "How about we stop for ice cream on the way home?"

And with that, another chorus of cheers came from his sisters. Yes, they may have had ice cream three times already today, but one more time probably wouldn't hurt. The girls opened up the car doors and jumped into their individual seats. Just as Jack went to join them, a familiar voice came from behind, electing him to turn around quickly.

"Hey, pukey." Violet spoke, giving him a mocking smirk. "How are you feeling?"

"Oh...uh, better." Jack replied sheepishly, looking to the ground in embarrassment. "Sorry about that earlier. I guess I just have a weak stomach. I hope you didn't find it disgusting."

"Nah, don't worry about it." Violet replied, shrugging. "I thought it was kinda funny."

"You did?" Jack inquired, twisting his face in slight confusion.

"Yeah. To be honest, I'd rather you throwing up in the trashcan than all over _me_!" She replied with a grin, making Jack chuckle and turn away awkwardly. She inspected him up and down for a moment, analyzing his painted face and hands full of random prizes. "It looks like you've had more fun than I've had today."

"Not a fan of theme parks?"

"Not really." Violet responded, shaking her head and giving Charlie a watchful glance. He was waving to Edith in the car window, who crossed her arms and turned away, giving Jack a quick glance to hurry him up. "I'm not really a kid person. I'm just doing this because my bro was nagging me half to death. How about you?"

"Honestly, I just wanted to get out of the house." Jack informed. "My sisters wanted to come here and it sounded pretty cool...so...yeah."

"Fair enough." Violet spoke. Jack was a little embarrassed by calling Super Silly Fun Land 'cool', but he was too mesmerized by her appearance to care. "Going out on hiking trips is more my kind of thing."

"Wow, really?" Jack spoke. "I've never gone on a hiking trip before."

"Really?" She questioned, seeming a little shocked. Jack shrugged quickly. "Well, in that case, me and a few mates were thinking of going on one tomorrow. You're welcome to come."

"Oh...yeah, that sounds great!" Jack responded quickly, forgetting all about his promise. "What time do you want me?"

"Around eight." She informed. "We wanna get there early, since the trip will probably last a few hours."

Jack wasn't a fan of early wake-ups, but with the likelihood of another nightmare, he would probably be forced to anyway.

"Yeah, okay."

"Cool." She replied, giving him a single nod. Suddenly, three successive, loud bangs came from the window. Jack quickly shifted his gaze, where he saw Edith pounding it with an aggressive frown, Charlie standing just in front of it with a look of shock.

"Okay, okay!" Jack shouted, glaring at her. "I should probably get going before they literally pull me in."

"Yeah, good plan." Violet said with a chuckle. "I'll come pick you up tomorrow, then."

"Can't wait!" Jack proclaimed happily. "See you then."

Violet gave him another nod before ushering Charlie towards their own vehicle, who waved at Edith yet again. Jack opened the door and jumped into his car, a beaming smile planted right across his face, before Edith leaned over from the back seat and spoke in his ear, making him wince slightly.

"What took you so long?"

"Oh...I was just...talking." Jack replied, turning his gaze away as Edith narrowed her eyes.

"About what?" Agnes questioned cutely.

"About what happens to nosy little girls." Jack responded, turning around and giving her an evil smirk. "For the record, they get eaten by the nosy monster."

Edith sat back down and crossed her arms, obviously not convinced, while Agnes shrunk in her seat, glaring at Jack with an expression of total fear.

"Really?" She whimpered.

"Really." Jack responded evilly. Agnes tensed up further, and even though she was probably scared enough already, Jack couldn't help but fakely widen his eyes and point out the car window beside her. "In fact, there he is now."

Agnes immediately spun her gaze out of the window and squealed in fear, hyperventilating as she scanned the whole car park. All she saw were more parked cars and random people strolling around. No sign of any monsters.

"There's no such thing as a nosy monster, Agnes." Margo said with a chuckle. By the way Agnes kept her glare out of the window, she was not convinced.

"What's up with that Charlie kid?" Edith asked suddenly, her face scrunched up in thought. "Why does he always speak to me?"

"Well...speaking to someone isn't exactly weird, Edith." Margo replied with a shrug.

"It is when that someone is as cool as me." She stated. By the way her face remained locked in confusion, and by the nonchalant tone of her voice, you could tell she wasn't joking around. Margo gave her a look of pure bewilderment, before turning to Jack as if to ask 'can you believe her?'

"The stuttering is a little strange, though." He stated as he placed the keys in the ignition.

"Yeah, but...you know why he stutters though, don't you?" Margo questioned, lowering her head. Jack turned and gave her an odd look, obviously not sure about what she was getting at, up until the answer clicked in his mind.

"Wait...are you saying that-"

"I think so." Margo said quickly, nodding and smirking. Jack gave her a wide-eyed stare for a moment, before breaking into an uncontrollable laugh. He laughed so hard, that Margo and Agnes couldn't help but join in, even though the youngest had no clue what was going on. Edith moved her gaze around the whole car in confusion, looking at each sibling with an interrogating expression.

"What's so funny?" She asked.

"I dunno." Agnes replied with a shrug, still laughing. Jack and Margo continued to guffaw, before the eldest sister sunk back into her seat and tried her hardest to speak coherently.

"You'll find out soon enough." She claimed. Edith huffed with exasperation as she turned away and looked out of the window. She'd had enough of questioning and decided to give up on doing so any further. Jack, who had now finished laughing, turned the keys in the ignition and started down the wooden road. He couldn't help but smile contentedly. He'd had a fun day, and was looking forward to getting up to more fun tomorrow.

That was, until Agnes locked her gaze out of the window and bounced in her seat.

"See you tomorrow, Super Silly Fun Land!" She bellowed happily. Jack's expression dropped immediately, remembering the promise he had made. He couldn't miss the chance to hang around with that Violet girl, but he also couldn't break an Agnes pinky promise. That was a problem...

"Yeah..." He spoke awkwardly, not turning his head. "See you tomorrow."

* * *

 _So I made this chapter a little shorter than the other two, mainly because I don't wanna keep people waiting. It's quite difficult to write an 8,000-word chapter in 2-3 days, especially since I do a LOT of proof-reading to ensure everything makes sense._

 _Anyway, I really struggled with this chapter, as writers-block was hitting me hard. For some reason, the whole Super Silly Fun Land scene was extremely difficult to write. I hope the quality didn't suffer because of that. Don't be afraid to tell me otherwise, I won't get offended. In fact, I would actually appreciate it, since then I would know to go back and do a little re-write to hopefully improve it._


	4. The Initiation Task

**Chapter Four -  
** _ **The Initiation Task**_

The sounds of different indecipherable conversations rang around the AVL main hall, making the noise almost unbearable. Word about Nigel's kidnapping had spread quickly, and the main topic being discussed within the headquarters was questions on how Gru was going to handle this.

Lucy moved down the steps, passing the many different agents who were lost in discussion, until she reached her usual position in the main hall. When Valerie was in charge, Lucy used to dread these agent gatherings, as each occasion posed a massive threat to every agent's job. But now that Gru had taken over as director, she had nothing to fear. Obviously, he would never fire her, even if head-office demanded it.

After another minute of booming voices, the sounds of aggressive footsteps pounding along the hard floor pulled the room into complete silence. Everyone knew immediately who they belonged to, and everyone quickly closed their mouths before they found themselves involved in an unnecessary rift which would most likely cost them their jobs.

Gru strolled up to the middle of the light-blue podium without a single word, wearing a darkened frown and passing random agents glances of ire. After making his way into the center of the room, he lifted his head valiantly and began addressing in a professional manner.

"So...I'm sure we have all heard de news." He began, spinning his fierce gaze. A few agents nodded their heads, while others conserved their agreement behind their fearful glare. "Nigel's untimely keednappeeng has shocked us all, no doubt. But we must remain focused! De life of an agent ees at stake here, and we cannot waste any time een locateeng heem before eet ees too late!"

But then, for the first time ever in the history of AVL gatherings, a senior agent flung the entrance door open and bounded his voice across the whole room.

"Director!" He yelped, immediately snatching the attention of every person within the room. Gru darted his head towards the source of the shout, shooting it a fiery glare. "Could we...uh...have a little chat!"

A chorus of stunned gasps arose around the room, every agent turning to each other and muttering in their dozens. Interrupting the director required nerves of steel. Gru's eyes widened in slight disbelief, before he clenched his fists and promptly made his way towards the aforementioned agent.

"What do yoo want!?" He bellowed angrily. "Can't yoo see dat I'm busy!?"

"Uh...I have some grave news on Nigel." He began, shaking a little in anxiety. "A civilian found him shot in the head along the road beside Crestfall forest. Unsurprisingly, he's been pronounced dead."

Gru gave the agent a look of pure shock, taking a small step backward. This would be the first employee death since he took charge, meaning this was a situation that he had very little experience in dealing with. He racked his mind in search of a plan, but found himself completely out of ideas.

"Why...how...what do we do next?" He replied.

"It's up to you, director." The agent replied, seeming both solemn and intimidated. "The civilian went to the police to report the murder, but since this is an AVL death, we've instructed them to stay out of it. That means we have full control over the case. If I was you, I would send a team of agents to the murder location to search around, but again, you're the director."

"Good idea!" Gru proclaimed loudly, startling the agent slightly. "I can sort dat out! I need _yoo_ to...uh...let's see...eenform de eenvestigation team. Tell dem to deeg up whatever eenformation dey can on de events of last night. I'm sure dey'll know what to do. Understand!?"

"Uh...yes, director." He replied fearfully before scurrying off to complete his task. Gru marched his way back to the center of the room, every agent looking back in bewilderment, before lifting his head and addressing the situation.

"Everyone, eet looks like we were too late." He spoke dejectedly, still wearing a frown to hold onto his intimidation factor. "Nigel has been found dead."

Another chorus of gasps surrounded the room, the state of shock becoming increasingly evident. As the amount of chatter rose to irritating levels, Gru slammed his foot down hard and aggressively, snapping everyone back into complete silence.

"What deed I say earlier!?" He boomed. "We must remain focused! I want _everyone_ to go down to Crestfall forest and gather as much eenformation on dis murder as possible! Dat ees _not_ up for deescussion! Does everyone understand!?"

"Yes, director." The agents spoke in unison.

"Good!" Gru exclaimed. "Dismissed!"

The agents all quickly hurried to the steps and scampered out of the room, filled with relief that their job survived yet another gathering. The moment that Gru finished his announcement, Lucy ran over the brightly lit floor to stand in front of her husband, shooting him a determined glare.

"So, what should _we_ do?" She inquired. Obviously, being the wife of the director meant that she didn't have to do the same tedious tasks as the other common rabble. Gru turned away and narrowed his eyes, adding a sense of drama to his tone.

"A mission dat weel be just as arduous." He spoke, glancing at his spouse. "A mission dat weel most likely take up de whole of tomorrow morneeng."

"Ooo! What mission is that?" She asked excitedly, leaning in slightly in anticipation.

"Geeteeng a certain teenager to find a job!"

* * *

Night had fallen upon the piazza of Sant'Agostino in Rome. A security guard, who was currently standing outside the main doorway to the chapel, reached into the pocket of his uniform and pulled out a stick of gum. He chewed happily, whistling the tune of a song he had heard on the radio earlier.

He stared out over the small parking lot that was situated in front of the chapel's steps. The only vehicle currently parked there, was his own personal dark green mini. There were no other people anywhere, and the only sound, excluding his whistling, was the occasional chirp of a cricket. Everything around him was encased in the common atmosphere that accompanied the night, a sense of pure tranquility.

Suddenly, without prior warning, a brown-haired woman in a dark red turtleneck descended from the rooftop using a harness and landed to the right of him. He quickly turned to face her, but didn't have any time to clock what was going on before he was knocked unconscious by a sharp chop to the neck. He hit the ground with a large thump, one of which was likely to leave a bruise the next morning.

Following on a second later, was a blonde dressed in all white and a masked man sporting a green jumper, the former stumbling a little as he just about landed on his feet. They spun their gazes around the whole vicinity, comfortable enough to converse after confirming that the coast was clear.

"Good technique, Fiona." Venin spoke, giving her a nod. The former IVB receptionist didn't acknowledge his comment, her expression remaining completely indifferent as she watched her victim's unconscious body with a smirk. Venin looked to the dark blue door of the chapel, inspecting it for a second, before reaching down and fishing a key out of the guard's back pocket. "Now, we locate the painting."

He walked up to the door and promptly placed the key into the keyhole. After unlocking and opening it fully, the trio emerged into a massive room, each one of them forced to squint in order to see through the blinding darkness. There were multiple benches spanning the length of the room, and at the very end, was an alter littered with candles.

"It's dark." Fiona stated, spinning her head in multiple directions.

"I'm not certain of this theory, but I think that's because it's night." Venin retorted sarcastically. Fiona simply rolled her eyes with a sharp scowl, not meeting his gaze.

"Ooo! Wait!" Dru blurted suddenly, startling his two partners slightly. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a black torch. "Look what _I_ brought!"

"Nice one, Dru!" Venin spoke. "I knew you were the right man for the job!"

The blonde villain beamed proudly before switching it on and illuminating the room. The three walked forward precariously, Dru scanning the walls with the torch, before finally, the Madonna di Loreto came into sight.

"Dere!" He proclaimed, pointing the torch towards it and bouncing giddily. Venin turned and followed the torch's direction, grinning menacingly as his gaze landed upon the painting. He wasted no time in darting forward, grabbing it off the wall and looking down upon the oil colours on the canvas.

"Very impressive." He stated, nodding his head. "Judging on how the paint has faded slightly, I do believe this dates back to the early-seventeenth century, possibly late-sixteenth. Taking that into account, it must be worth its fair share of coinage, possibly a six-figure number."

"Mm-hmm. Great. If you're done, can we go?" Fiona asked sharply. Venin gave her a harsh glare, one of which she returned, before he snickered venomously.

"You know, Fiona. You certainly are an interesting character." He spoke. He eyed her up with a smile that actually seemed quite genuine. Fiona only offered him half of her attention, giving the other half to the floor. "One can hardly believe that you were abandoned to stack shelves at a supermarket."

"Yes, well, it's an _interesting_ line of work." She replied sardonically. She glared at him with fiery bewilderment, narrowing her eyes before interrogating him. "Can I ask you something? Why did you pick _me_ for this whole becoming president thing? Are you, like, in love with me or something?"

"Well, when it comes to falling in love, I usually go for _humans_ , not cows." He spoke dangerously. All remnants of his previous smile faded, being replaced by a frown that burrowed deep within her skull. Fiona widened her eyes at the insult, looking like she was about to explode in rage, before the unexpected sounds of blaring sirens broke the tense atmosphere and replaced it with an air of panic.

"Oh, god! Eet's de peegs!" Dru exclaimed, jumping up and hiding behind one of the benches. "How deed dey know we were here?"

"We must've triggered a silent alarm." Venin deduced, clenching his fists. "Ugh...Italians. Always the crafty bunch."

"What are we gonna _dooooooo_!?" Dru screeched. By the way in which he was shaking anxiously, you'd think he was close to wetting himself.

"Well, it's a simple plan, but it should be effective!" Venin exclaimed, before unexpectedly darting forward towards the exit, the Madonna di Loreto firmly in his grasp. "RUN!"

Dru, who was still shaking, jumped up and followed on, while Fiona gave another exasperated scoff as she did the same. The trio made their way back to the entrance door, the blinking of red and blue lights making themselves apparent as they sped into the parking lot. The cops had arrived.

"Hmm...I must admit, this is not how I envisioned my first trip to Rome." Venin announced, frowning as the cruiser pulled up at the foot of the steps. The car door opened swiftly, allowing a man in police uniform to emerge and point an authoritative finger at the three villains.

"Fermati lá!" He screeched with acrimony. Another policeman flung the passenger-side door open and ran over to stand beside his colleague.

"Sei in arresto!" He bellowed.

"Sera, signori," Venin replied, moving a step closer to the two policemen. Dru and Fiona eyed him up with confusion, watching as he conversed in fluent Italian. "Mi piacerebbe chattare, ma io ei miei colleghi hanno posti per essere."

"Fai cadere la pittura!" The cop spoke, raising the volume of his voice tenfold. He pulled out a handgun from his trouser pocket, immediately pointing it in the trio's direction. Dru squealed in fear as he covered his face with his hands, hoping somehow they would deter the bullet.

"Please! Don't shoot!" He yelped. This was not the way in which he wanted to die. He didn't exactly know _how_ he wanted to die, but he did know that he didn't want it happening today. Venin gave a deep sigh, rubbing his temple in exasperation, before facing the policemen and shrugging.

"Se é cosí che vuoi giocare." He stated dryly. Without warning, he used his free hand to fish out a tiny bomb from his back pocket and threw it forward. As it hit the ground, a large yellow gas cloud fizzed out and enveloped the two policemen, making them cough and splutter before collapsing to the ground.

"Whatever you do, _don't_ breathe in the gas!" Venin exclaimed, darting his head to both partners. "Now, come! This way!"

He thundered unexpectedly to the left, vaulting over a small wall and bounding along the border of the parking lot, trying desperately not to lose his grip on the valuable painting. Dru and Fiona stared in bewilderment, quickly following on after the cloud of yellow gas got too close for comfort.

After a few minutes of sprinting, the trio regathered at a nearby alleyway, obscuring themselves within the darkness. Venin, who lightly placed the painting against the side of the wall, reached into his pocket and pulled out a small mobile phone. He punched a few numbers in and held it to his ear as a rough voice answered.

"One of you...come pick us up." He spoke, speaking through the rapid gasps for air. "We're somewhere near...Sant'Agostino."

He hung up and shoved the phone back into his pocket, before looking over to Dru and Fiona, who were also gasping for air desperately, and giving them a proud nod.

"And there...ends our initiation task."

* * *

Gru was sitting at the kitchen table, sporting a frustrated frown and giving occasional sighs of boredom. Because of all the commotion recently, he hadn't had much of a chance to complete the folder of paperwork, and so decided to use the free time in the morning to get it done. To his annoyance, it was taking much longer than twenty minutes. He had been sitting there for half-an-hour already, and there were still around fifteen forms left to finish up.

"Stupeed villains." He muttered under his breath. "Eef yoo'd just stop weeth de whole evil theeng, I wouldn't have to do all dis damn paperwork."

"Dad?" A young voice suddenly asked, starling Gru slightly. "Are you talking to yourself?"

Gru looked up and spied Margo, Edith and Agnes directly in front of the table, peering back at him questioningly. By the way in which her face was scrunched up in confusion, Margo must've been the one who inquired.

"Oh." He replied sheepishly, giving them an awkward smile. "Uh...no. I was...talkeeng to de paperwork."

"Ooooook." Margo responded, grinning humorously a little. He could've at least used a convincing lie. As he returned the small smile and got back to the paperwork, Agnes jumped up and scooted across the booth seat, peering over his shoulder at the report in his hand.

"What'cha doing?" She asked.

"Very eemportant paperwork, Agnes." He replied softly, rubbing his irritated forehead. "Paperwork dat requires a lot of concentration. So eef yoo don't mind, I need to-"

"Woahhhh!" Edith exclaimed suddenly, widening her eyes with a huge smile as she glared down at the form in her hands. "This guy has a gash on his arm! Look, you can see the bone!"

"Give me dat!" Gru yelled, snatching the form from her gently. "Look, I have a lot of work to do, so tell me what yoo want and den go play somewhere or sometheeng!"

"Well, first, we're kinda hungry." Margo replied, taking up Agnes's old spot, who had now shuffled over to sit on her father's lap. "But also, have you seen Jack? He was gonna take us to Super Silly Fun Land again but we can't find him anywhere."

Gru frowned when he heard that statement. Jack must be trying to hide again. This time, Gru pondered to himself, he was _not_ going to let him get away. He rolled down his sleeve so he could peer down at his digital watch, where he clarified the time.

"Eet's 8:30." He stated, looking back at Margo with a smirk. "So, yoo might wanna check his bed."

"We did." Edith replied, frowning as she rested her head in her hands. "He's not there."

"He's not!?" Gru exclaimed, turning his gaze over all three daughters. The girls gave a quick shake of their heads, providing him with confirmation. Gru sighed heavily as he reached down and fished out his mobile phone from his pocket. He pressed a few buttons before holding it up to his ear, tapping the table impatiently with his finger.

After a few seconds, the ringing came to a stop as Jack picked up, but he still didn't speak a single word. The only way Gru knew that he'd actually answered, was by the sound of a car engine and rushing wind in the background.

"Jack!" He yelled down the phone. "'I know yoo're dere! Where are yoo!?"

"Oh...hi, Gru." He said softly. He was attempting to sound innocent, but in the end, it just made him sound more guilty. "I'm just...going...for a walk."

"Den how come I can hear a car een de background?"

"I'm...uh...walking by the highway." Jack responded, followed by the sounds of snickers in the background. By the pitch, Gru could tell it was a female who was snickering. Jack immediately shushed the person up, attempting to stifle his own laugh, before continuing. "So, what do you want?"

"Yoo know what I want, Jack!" Gru snapped. "We need to discuss dis job theeng. Yoo can't expect to hide from me forever! Plus, de gurls said yoo were takeeng dem to Super Silly Fun Land!"

"What was that Gru?" Jack bellowed loudly, making Gru wince. "I didn't get that. You're breaking up!"

"Jack! I swear, eef yoo don't come home dis eenstant, I weel-"

"I still can't hear you Gru! I think the signal is bad or something! I'll ring you back later."

"JACK! Don't yoo dare-" He boomed angrily, stopping after Jack's voice replaced itself with a long irritating tone, indicating that he'd hung up. Gru scowled as he roughly placed the phone back into his pocket, grabbing onto the bridge of his nose and speaking dryly. "Sorry gurls, but I don't theenk he's comeeng back."

Agnes gasped in shock, while Margo and Edith exchanged an upset glance. Jack had broken a pinky promise. That was not something you did lightly. Edith looked down to the table and pulled a saddened expression.

This was very uncharacteristic of her brother. Normally, he would push anything and everything out of the way to spend time with her, but on this occasion, he'd actually left to do something else. Before anyone could say another word, Lucy came trudging into the kitchen slowly. She was still dressed in her pajamas, and her eyes looked dull and tired.

"What's with the shouting?" She questioned quietly, giving her forehead a quick rub.

"Jack's gone off galavanting somewhere!" Gru exclaimed. He crossed his arms and frowned deeply. For some reason, he felt like he was losing a battle he didn't even know he was involved in. "Dat boy ees really begineeng to grind my gears!"

"He broke a pinky promise!" Agnes yelped suddenly. By the way in which her upper lip was quivering, it looked like she was about to break into tears at any moment. Lucy looked at the small girl with confusion for a second, before turning to her eldest daughter, using her expression to relay the question in her mind. It didn't take a genius to deduce that question.

"He promised he'd take us to Super Silly Fun Land." Margo explained.

"Again?" Lucy questioned, twisting her face. Margo shrugged.

"He seemed more excited than us to go back." She said, looking down to the table sadly. "I guess...maybe he wasn't."

"Who's gonna watch de gurls now!?" Gru boomed. "I can't skeep work today, not weeth de whole Nigel situation."

"Well, how about I take the day off to look after them?" Lucy offered. It wouldn't be an issue to not turn up, considering her husband was the director. "Then, how about I fulfill Jack's promise? I can't remember the last time I went to Super Silly Fun Land."

"Really?" Agnes perked up, leaping up to stand on her booth seat.

"Yeah, why not?" Lucy said with a shrug. "My treat."

Margo and Agnes cheered joyfully, the youngest sibling seeming to forget all about the broken promise, while Edith remained unusually silent, as if she were lost in thought. To her, this was never about spending time at Super Silly Fun Land.

It was about spending time with her brother...

* * *

Just after pretending to lose signal and hanging up, Jack turned to face Violet, who was currently sitting in front of the steering wheel, and sent her a playful frown.

"Instead of giggling, maybe you could try concentrating on the road." He spoke mockingly, pointing in front. Violet chuckled, not turning to face him, before replying.

"That your dad?" She questioned.

"Yeah." He confirmed, turning to look out the passenger side window. "He's been harping on at me about getting a job, so I've been trying to avoid him."

"Oh god, I know the feeling." Violet replied, nodding and giving Jack a momentary glance, who turned back and gave her his full attention. "Dad's can be a real pain in the arse sometimes."

"Hmm..." Jack responded quietly, turning away in thought. She was right. Dad's _can_ be a real pain. But compared to his old one, Gru was practically a saint. After remaining silent for a few seconds, Jack shook away his thoughts and turned to face the teenage girl, who had just come to a stop at a red light. "So, where are we going?"

"Hunchback mountain." She informed. "Probably one of my favorite places to hike. Actually, probably one of my favorite places _ever_! It's like it was literally _made_ for me."

"Nice." Jack said, chuckling. "How much farther is it? Feels like we've been driving for ages."

"Well, lucky for you, it's just down that dirt road." Violet stated, pointing to the road in question. It must've only been a few hundred meters away, and it looked very dirty in comparison to the clean road they were currently driving on. After a moment, the traffic light turned to green and Violet continued, pulling off down the dirt road once they'd reached it.

The mountain immediately came into view, the morning sun shining behind it brightly. It could barely be called a mountain. It was more like a very tall hill. But still, hiking up it did look fun.

"So, your friends are gonna meet us here?" Jack questioned, peering up to get a view of the top. A small building, presumably a café, was situated on the summit.

"Mm-hmm." Violet replied, nodding her head promptly. "I think you'll like 'em. One of 'em likes weight-lifting and stuff, although he hasn't got biceps anywhere near as big as yours. How did you get them so big?"

She motioned to his huge arms, which were more than visible in his short-sleeved shirt, and grinned impressively. Jack immediately became skittish, looking down at his muscles for a moment before turning away awkwardly.

"Um...well...I kinda needed the strength so I could...protect myself." He explained solemnly. "Things were a little...rough...for a while. But, if you don't mind, I'd rather not get into it."

"Oh...uh...yeah, sure." Violet responded softly. She wasn't expecting that kind of response, and obviously, she wasn't going to probe further. Jack turned to look out of the window again, feeling that same feeling of sadness return. It was bad enough reliving those moments in dreams, he didn't need it happening when he was awake...

After another minute of driving, the two pulled up beside a bench near the start of the hiking trail. Two teenage boys were sat upon it, glancing over at Violet's car as it stopped near them and giving the teenager in the driver's seat a nod. She returned it as her and Jack got out.

"Hey, guys." She greeted cheerily, strolling up to them with a wave. Jack approached the two confidently, eyeing them up. She was right. One clearly did like weight-lifting, as his biceps were of a decent size, but they were twigs compared to Jack's arms.

"What's 'appening, Violet." The larger one spoke. He turned to face Jack, frowning a little after spying his built-up figure, before motioning in his direction. "Who's this guy?"

"Uh...Joe, Sam, I'd like you to meet Jack." She said. "He lives near me in my new neighborhood."

"Very nice to meet you." The smaller one spoke politely, getting up from the bench and offering his hand in a handshake. Jack smiled and returned it. If this was two months ago, the likelihood of Jack shooting his head off was probably higher than him shaking his hand. "As she said, I'm Sam. How did you meet Violet?"

"In a theme park." Jack replied, glancing at the girl and appreciating her beautiful appearance for a second. "She...uh...found me puking in a trashcan."

Violet giggled, returning Jack's gaze with a warm smile. Jack felt a small tingle in his stomach as she laughed. He wasn't exactly sure why, but since it actually felt quite nice, he didn't argue against it. Sam turned to her in confusion, using his expression as an interrogation technique, before looking back to Jack and grinning awkwardly.

"Oh, well...interesting." He spoke. "Do you...uh...like hiking?"

"Never tried it," Jack replied with a shrug. "But there's always a first time for everything."

"You're scaling Hunchback on your first time?" The muscley boy questioned. By the power of deduction, his name must've been Joe. "In that case, you might wanna sit this one out. You're not gonna last a second otherwise."

Joe was glaring at him aggressively, his voice not containing a single shred of playfulness. Jack couldn't help but feel lucky for him, because if he hadn't found Edith and her family two months prior, he probably would've shot Joe without a second thought. In fact, the only thing keeping him from sparking his lights out with a swift punch, was Violet. He frowned, glanced at the mountain and then gave the boy a mocking glare.

"What...on that tiny thing?" He inquired, smirking. "I could hike this three times and still have enough energy to play a whole soccer match."

Violet grinned. Jack was obviously the strange type, what with the whole discreet muscle thing and the love for children's theme parks, but there was something about him she really liked. As she looked into his eyes, which were locked onto Joe ominously, she noticed a sense of internal softness and generosity behind that intimidating, sarcastic exterior.

"Pfft...I highly doubt that." Joe replied, narrowing his eyes slightly. It was taking all of Jack's willpower not to put this kid in the hospital. "Anyway! Enough talk, more demonstration."

Joe quickly began down the trail leading up the mountain, Sam following on a moment later. Just before they joined them, Jack turned to Violet and frowned ferociously, motioning his head in Joe's direction.

"I don't know how much longer I can hold my punch." He said, without a hint of sarcasm. Violet giggled. "What's up with him?"

"He's not usually like that." She replied with a small shrug. "I think he's a little jealous of your build. He's always been the competitive type."

"Well, if it's competition he wants..." Jack started, as he turned to begin the hike. "It's competition he'll get."

* * *

Gru pulled his tank up on the barren road alongside Crestfall forest. Just like he had requested, thirty or forty agents were spread around the vicinity, investigating different locations and chatting in their dozens. It didn't take a genius to realize that some of the conversations were not work-related, which was angering the director somewhat.

As he stepped out of his large vehicle, a few agents began eyeing him up strangely, sharing their attention between the former villain and his odd choice of transport. Gru shot his gaze at them, handing them a threatening glare, until they turned back and got on with their work.

Gru scanned the crime-scene in front of him, taking in as many details as possible. Yellow tape surrounded the exact location of the murder, and within the middle of the zoned-out area, was a chalk outline representing where Nigel was found dead.

"Yoo!" Gru exclaimed, pointing at a random agent and calling him forward. "Have yoo found out who deed dis yet?"

"Uh...not yet, director." The agent replied sheepishly. Gru narrowed his eyes intensely, making the agent tense up anxiously. "We're...having a bit of trouble."

"Why's dat den!?" Gru questioned darkly.

"Well...we tried looking over the security footage," The agent answered, pointing up at a security camera placed on one of the street lights. "But whoever did this must've been smart, as they used some sort of blocking device to replace the video with static."

"Dose crafty..." Gru muttered aggressively. "At what time-stamp?"

"It cuts out at 10:50pm, and it doesn't return until around twenty minutes later." He responded. "When it comes back, Nigel's corpse is then viewable in shot, indicating that this is no coincidence."

"Ah, well, dat's just fantastic!" Gru stated sarcastically. "What ees our next move?"

"Well, I've recommended that we send someone to review the security footage of Nigel's apartment complex." He responded, nodding promptly. "But at the minute, we haven't received any volunteers."

"Eef eet ees your idea, den yoo can sort eet out." Gru stated, turning away. "Am I correct een assumeeng dat dat ees not a problem?"

"Uh...of course, director." The agent replied promptly before scampering off to join another gang of agents. After a moment of discussion, they jumped into the nearest AVL van and drove off. Gru continued to stand there for a minute, spinning his gaze around the area, before finally moving to peer over the yellow tape.

The chalk outline of Nigel's body was oddly shaped, as if he had crawled up into a ball after he was shot. Obviously, that wasn't possible. Unless of course, your hands and legs had been tied up. Considering that detail, and the fact that the security footage had been tampered with, it was clear that they were dealing with professionals. Chances are, they were dealing with villains.

But, whoever these professional villains were, they definitely wouldn't have taken into account that the person who would go on to control the investigation case was a former professional villain himself, and he knew all the tricks of the trade.

"Yoo won't get away weeth dis..." Gru muttered under his breath, looking down to the ground. "Not while I'm een charge."

* * *

Lucy and the girls were currently driving back to the house after spending the whole morning at Super Silly Fun Land. On this occasion, however, it wasn't as much fun. After spending around four hours there the previous day, the girls had been on every ride three times, and it was becoming repetitive fast. It seemed like you needed to space out Super Silly Fun Land trips, in order to make them more exciting.

"Mom?" Agnes questioned suddenly from the back seat. Lucy was startled slightly by her chirpy voice, because before she spoke, there had been a very long silence within the car.

"Um...yes, sweetie?" Lucy responded.

"Why does Jack hate us?"

"What!?" Lucy blurted, resisting the urge to look away from the road in surprised shock. "He doesn't hate you! Why would you think that?"

"He broke a pinky promise." Agnes stated sadly, dropping her head a little. If Agnes was president, breaking a pinky promise would probably be considered an act of war.

"That doesn't mean he hates us, Agnes." Margo spoke gently, attempting to reassure herself as well as her little sister. Another short silence filled the car, as if everyone had developed the same question in their minds, up until Margo broke it by asking it out loud. "But...why _did_ he break the pinky promise?"

"Well, girls, when you get older," Lucy explained. "You start to find other things more interesting. After a while, theme parks and birthday parties get boring. It doesn't mean that he hates you, it just means he wants to go out and do other stuff."

"Like what?" Edith asked. Out of all the three girls, she was finding this conversation the most upsetting. Her brother considered Edith as the best person in the world, so why would he break the promise and leave her? It didn't make any sense.

"Well, in Jack's case, probably talking to girls." She stated. At this point, Margo understood what she meant. He began to act a little weird when that girl at the theme park was around, so chances are, he ditched them to spend time with her. Margo didn't curse Jack for that, since she knew the feeling. Between spending the whole day with Chester or going to a theme park with her little sisters, the latter would not be her preferred choice.

"But _we're_ girls!" Agnes yelped. Lucy couldn't hold back her chuckle. Being a mom was awesome, partly because you got to hear the funny things your kids could come up with.

"I know you are, sweetie." She replied. "But I meant girls his own age."

"What's so different about girls his own age?" Edith exclaimed. At this point, Lucy knew the conversation was steering down a bad route. Margo had already 'the chat', but obviously, Edith and Agnes we're too young. Continuing this conversation would almost definitely rid her of any choice. She had to divert it before it was too late.

"Uh...I'm sure you'll find out when you're older." She replied. Before Edith could say another word, their house came into view, and Lucy pointed at it in order to halt the conversation. "Look, we're home!"

Lucy drove her car into the driveway and came to a stop, before she and the girls jumped out. They immediately moved to the boot to retrieve their massive amounts of prizes and leftover candy, which required a lot of extra space for storage. After a minute of collecting a few of her prizes, Edith was interrupted by that same voice, making her clench her fists and turn around aggressively.

"H-Hey, E-Ed-"

"How!?" She blurted, almost giving Charlie a heart-attack. "How do you keep appearing behind me!?"

"Oh...w-well...I was j-just gonna a-ask if you w-wanted to h-hang out." He spoke. Edith huffed as she turned back around to the boot, trying to pretend like she didn't hear him. Why would she hang around with him? It would be really awkward, and most likely, extremely boring. But as her thought process continued, and as she remembered that Jack wasn't home, she realized that she had nothing else to do.

After a minute of him standing there awkwardly, giving her occasional glances as he kept his gaze on the pavement, Edith scowled and turned to face him again, sending him a deadly expression.

"What would we even do?" She asked. By the way in which she questioned him, she made the question sound rhetorical.

"Well, my s-sister isn't h-home," Charlie began, motioning down the street, presumably to his house. "So we c-could use h-her GameDrive X."

"You have a GameDrive X!?" Edith blurted, widening her eyes as her mouth fell agape. She had been asking Gru for that game console since he'd readopted her, but every time she would bring it up, he would refuse and say that it costed too much. Secretly, she felt like there was another reason, but she couldn't exactly work out what. Charlie couldn't help but smirk slightly. It looked like he'd finally persuaded her.

"Uh...yeah." He replied. Edith remained silent for a moment, just simply staring with a mix of dread and excitement, until she sighed heavily and walked up to stand directly in front of him.

"Fine! I'll hang out with you!" She spoke. Before he could respond, she gritted her teeth and pointed a demanding finger at him. Jack had been teaching her a few things about intimidation since he'd been living there, something he claimed she'd be good at, so she knew exactly how to scare him. "But if you tell anyone that I'm with you, then I swear, I'll make you regret the day you were born!"

Charlie took a step backward and shrunk down within himself, glaring at the tomboy fearfully. After a moments silence, he managed to get his frightened voicebox to operate.

"Um...o-okay." He whimpered. Edith nodded before turning away from him and beginning her walk down the street. Charlie continued to stand there, freaked out of his mind from her aggressive threat, until she turned back to face him and held her arms out demandingly.

"Well come on!" She yelled. Charlie shook himself back into reality and followed on, ensuring to keep a watchful eye on her fist, just in case it came flying towards his face. A second later, Lucy turned around from unpacking the car and spied the two as they walked away. She watched in disbelief for a moment before turning to face her eldest daughter, who was also watching them.

"Is...Edith talking to a _boy_?" She questioned. Margo nodded before smirking slightly.

"Looks like." She spoke.

"Why?" Lucy inquired. "I thought boys stayed away from her, in fear of getting hurt."

"Well, I don't know why she's talking to him..." Margo said, shrugging. "But I'm pretty sure he has a crush on her."

* * *

Jack sat on a bench at the top of Hunchback mountain, sipping on a bottle of lemonade that he had purchased from the café and staring out over the edge. The mountain may not have been that tall, but from the top, you could practically see over the entire city. In fact, you could just about catch a glimpse of Super Silly Fun Land on the horizon. He wished you couldn't, as it was bringing back uncomfortable reminders.

The girls were going to kill him.

A minute later, Violet, Sam and Joe appeared from the end of the trail, all three of them covered in sweat and breathing heavily. Jack had easily beaten them to the top. Before they arrived, he had been waiting for ten minutes on the bench, smiling proudly to himself. When the three approached him, Joe shot him a wide-eyed stare, eyeing him up with shock.

"How did you do that?" He questioned.

"Do what?" Jack replied, grinning. He understood the question perfectly fine, but he just wanted to annoy Joe further.

"Beat me!" He exclaimed. "I mean...how...who...why...what kind of person scales Hunchback that quickly on their first time!?"

"You really don't want to know." Jack stated darkly, leaning forward and feeding Joe a deep intimidating glare. The teen took an apprehensive step back, obviously a little frightened by the life-threatening look he was giving him, before turning his head away with a scowl.

"Come on you two!" Joe snapped aggressively, trying not to show his fear in front of Jack. He motioned his head to the café. "Let's go get a drink of something."

"You two go." Violet replied, taking up the seat next to Jack on the bench. The smell of her perfume immediately caught in Jack's senses, making him grin slightly. "I'm gonna stay here."

"Ugh...fine." Joe stated, turning away. "Come on, Sam."

Sam and Joe walked off, leaving just Jack and Violet on their own. A short, and slightly awkward, silence built up between them, until the teenage girl broke it.

"Nice view, huh?"

"Yeah, you can see so far." Jack said, nodding his head. Another uncomfortable silence built up between them, indicating that the current conversation was going nowhere. Jack shifted a little in his seat before changing the subject. "Thanks...for inviting me today."

"Don't worry about it." Violet replied with a shrug. "Are you sure that's your first time hiking? Because you seemed really good at it."

"Yeah, this _is_ my first time hiking," He said. "But it's not my first time scaling a mountain. I've been forced to climb some that were five times the size of this one."

"Woah," Violet responded, her mouth dropping slightly. "That's pretty awesome. Wait... _forced_?"

"Uh...yeah..." Jack spoke, looking to the floor wearily. "I think I've...probably told you enough."

Violet eyed him up with confusion for a second, before turning away and getting herself lost in thought. There was so much about him she didn't know, but for some strange reason, that only seemed to add to his allure. After a minute, she changed the subject again.

"My brother definitely has some sort of crush on your little sister." She proclaimed. "The one with the pink hat. Every single time he's near her, or even talking about her, he starts stuttering."

"Oh, Edith? Yeah, we figured." Jack replied, chuckling. He still found it funny. He didn't know why he found it funny, but every time he thought about the fact that someone had a crush on his little sister, he couldn't help but giggle. "You should tell him to stop trying. She hates boys. I'm pretty sure that me, my dad and my uncle or the only boys she actually gives the time of day."

"There's no point in _me_ telling him." She said. "Once he wants something, he won't let it go."

"Well, don't be surprised when she breaks his nose." Jack warned, chuckling. Violet giggled as well, but inside, she wasn't sure whether or not he was actually joking. Surely, a girl that young wouldn't break her little brother's nose, right?

"Uh...could I ask you something?" Violet inquired carefully.

"Sure." He replied. Violet took a moment before questioning him, attempting to find a safe way to do so. For some reason, probably because he was already defensive and secretive enough about different aspects of his life, she felt like she was stepping into dangerous territory.

"The one with the pink hat...Edith, was it?" She began. Jack nodded, narrowing his eyes a little suspiciously.

"Yeah..."

"Well, she...looks a lot like you," Violet stated. "But your other two sisters, they don't look _anything_ like you. Is that just some weird coincidence, or..."

"Oh...well...um." Jack stuttered, turning his head away from her. Like she predicted, he became skittish and immediately nervous, looking like he was losing himself in thought. After a moment, he sighed and turned to face her fully, seeming to relax slightly. "If we're gonna be friends, I had miles well just tell you. My current parents aren't _technically_ my parents, and those two sisters aren't _technically_ my sisters. I'm only related to Edith."

"Really?" Violet asked. "How's that then?"

"It's a very, very long story." Jack said, turning away uncomfortably again. Violet looked down at her digital watch, checked the time, and then turned back to her new friend.

"We have a lot of time." She stated. "It's only 1pm and we haven't got much else to do."

Jack turned away again, getting lost deep in contemplation. Obviously, if he was going to tell her his life-story, then he would have to sugarcoat it a little. Or, actually, sugarcoat it _a lot_. He couldn't say anything about the prison time, the IVB, all of the murdering, all of the kidnapping, the time when he almost committed suicide or...the abuse. So, was there any point in saying anything at all?

He turned to face her again, still deep in contemplation, but again, his attention was caught by her appearance. The clothes she wore suited her pretty well, even though they were a little sweaty. The purple highlights and eyebrow extensions made her look a little like a punk, something he seemed really attracted to. The makeup she wore made her perfect features look even better, a feat he didn't even realize was possible. It was like her entire figure was a manipulation technique.

 _'Oh, to hell with it...'_ He thought to himself.

"Okay, it all started seven years ago..."

* * *

 _Wow, 30k words and we're still nowhere near the climax. I really have no clue how long this could get. It may end up joining the 100k club, but we'll have to see._

 _Hope you enjoyed. Again, if you did, please consider reviewing. Will update asap._


	5. A Good Enough Motive

Right _then, it's time for this story to get started properly. The four previous chapters have been mostly fluff, OC introductions and setting up plotlines, so now I think we're ready to progress into the story a little quicker._

 _In all honesty, when I planned this fic, I thought we'd get to this stage of the storyline at around 10k words...not 30k. But, as is the norm with me, once I start writing, I don't seem to know when to stop._

* * *

 **Chapter Five -  
** _ **A Good Enough Motive**_

Dru, Venin and Fiona returned to the secret undercover hideout. The Madonna di Loreto was laid upon the roundtable, the three villains staring down at it and admiring their work in stealing it. Yes, maybe they were involved in a little chase, and maybe everything didn't exactly go to plan, but the important part was that they escaped with the painting and with their lives.

After a minute of discussing the successful heist with his two partners, Venin vaguely motioned his hand at one of the bodyguards, signaling for him to approach.

"Put this in with the other stolen artifacts." He demanded listlessly. The bodyguard shuffled over and collected the painting, before promptly leaving the room for the underground basement, which was used exclusively for storage. Dru eyed up the guard as he completed his task, watching as the intimidating brute was reduced to a frightened slave.

"Ah, what would I do without those guys?" Venin spoke, moving over and pouring himself a small glass of whiskey. "Fantastic bodyguards and just as efficient assistants."

Dru spun his gaze around the large hall, peering at the several bodyguards within the room. Each one staring dead forward with a blank glare, as if the brain hidden behind their eyes had taken a long break from functioning. The second that Venin would give them any sort of attention, whether it be a glance or order, they seemed to melt into an anxious mess.

"I noticed dat dey are very...compliant." He said, scrunching his face in confusion.

"Yes, well, what would be the point of assistants if they weren't compliant?" Venin responded, lighting a cigar, taking a seat and putting his feet up on the table. All that was missing from his cliché villain appearance, was a white cat.

"How deed yoo get dem like dat?" Dru questioned. "I have a band of asseestants myself, but dey aren't anytheeng like yours."

"There's something you should know about me, Dru." Venin stated, leaning in slightly. "When there is something that I desire, that something becomes mine. My men have seen that first hand, and they respect me for it. Once you have respect, compliance will shortly follow."

Dru lowered his head in thought. Respect was not the word he would've used to describe that guard's reaction to his demand. He seemed immediately afraid. How could you be afraid of this guy? He was mostly very polite, his manner of speaking was noticeably posh and his general posture was quite inviting. You would never suspect him to be a villain.

"Anyway, now that we have our little practice heist done and dusted," Venin began, pausing to taking a sip of whiskey. "We can move onto the next stage of the cycle. The planning phase."

"Ugh...can't we just waltz up to the white house and chuck the president out the front door?" Fiona questioned, her expression curled into a bored sulk. "Why do we have to do all this stupid cycle stuff?"

"I'm sorry Fiona, but how many evil schemes have you worked on in your career?" Venin asked aggressively. "Ones that didn't involve sneaking out the back door to have a cheeky cigarette beside the trolleys?"

"Well...none..." Fiona replied with a dull tone. "But it doesn't take a know-it-all to realize that all this cycle crap is completely pointless. We could easily just make a plan now and get on with it tonight."

"Not when that plan involves taking over the entirety of the US." Venin stated. "There are a lot of things that need configuring and preparing before we can even think about going anywhere near the white house."

"Like what?" Fiona questioned, rolling her eyes in frustration. "We could just get rid of the president and take a seat at his desk. There. Done."

" _Done_? Are you being serious?" Venin replied dryly, putting his feet back down on the floor and glaring deep into Fiona's eyes. "So, what do we do when the whole US army turns up to take us down, hmm? Should we equip ourselves with a nerf gun just in case we start staring down the barrel of a thousand assault rifles?"

"Well...I'm...sure we could take them." Fiona spoke with a shrug. She gave Dru a momentary glance, frowned at his always present giddy smile and then returned her gaze back to Venin, her expression showing her lack of self-belief.

"Now you're just speaking out your backside." Venin retorted, smirking in victory, happy to have won yet another argument. "By simply following the phases outlined within this cycle, we can complete the objective at hand sufficiently, while also ensuring that we won't find ourselves listed in the arbitrary pages. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yeah, yeah." Fiona spoke angrily, slumping back into her seat and crossing her arms. By the way in which she sulked, calling her a brat would be considered an understatement. "Just explain ya plan and let me go home."

"Well, that's the thing." Venin replied, taking another sip of whiskey. "At the moment, my plan is only a skeleton. I have a lot of the basics worked out, but there is still a lot left to construct. Because of this, I have no real need for you at the moment. I'll call you after I've worked out the rest."

"Thank god..." Fiona muttered. She grabbed her coat, jumped out of her seat and trudged out of the room. All she needed was a nice rest in front of the TV, and definitely several long naps. Dru also got up and made his way to the exit, but just as Fiona made her way outside, Venin called out and grabbed his attention.

"Wait! Dru! Could I have a brief chat with you for a moment?" He inquired. Obviously, Dru couldn't reject him, as it was clear that his question came bundled with only one possible answer.

"Oh...uh...sure." He responded, bounding back over to the masked villain. "What ees eet?"

"Now, if I recall correctly, you said that you and your _assistant_ planned that whole Rome heist." Venin began. "Is this assistant the same man who answered the phone a few days back?"

"Uh...yeah, dat's heem." Dru stated, nodding his head for extra clarification. "Why?"

"Well, you see Dru, I had to do a lot of shady research in order to find out your phone number." Venin explained. "Research that would most likely be considered...illegal...and while I was digging around in search of your contact details, I found that you have the same phone number as the great Dr. Nefario. Is that who you have hired as your assistant?"

"Oh...um...yes, yoo are correct." Dru stated, twisting his face in confusion. What research was he on about? And...how could it be considered illegal? And how did he know Dr. Nefario beforehand? There were a lot of questions needing answers, but before Dru could ask even one of them, Venin continued.

"Very good." He said, smirking and nodding in clear satisfaction. "You see, as I said earlier, the skeleton of my evil scheme has been developed, and I have figured out that we require one very crucial piece of technology in order to complete it successfully. I did a lot of research into this aforementioned piece of technology, in order to find out whether or not it actually exists at the moment. Unfortunately, even though the US government has created it's fair share of unique inventions, all of which are being stored in Area 51, this piece of technology is not one of them. If you have Dr. Nefario as your assistant, then I'm sure he could develop it for us. Do you think he would be willing?"

"Yeah, definitely!" Dru exclaimed gleefully. "But...what piece of technology do yoo need?"

"Oh, nothing too extravagant." Venin proclaimed, turning around and downing the last remnants of whiskey in his glass. "Just a simple mind control ray..."

* * *

Gru descended into the lab, watching as the minions wandered around aimlessly, clearly bereft of any jobs or tasks. Most of the time, when they had nothing to do, the minions would usually start messing around in their dozens or play with the powerful weaponary, either causing damage to the lab or themselves.

It was no different on this occasion, Gru rolling his eyes as he watched a minion go flying halfway across the room after being struck by an RPG shell. Thankfully, their DNA protected them from explosions, ensuring that they couldn't actually be killed by them, but it would still definitely cause some pain.

As the elevator came to a stop, Gru stepped out and spun his gaze around the large room, spying Dr. Nefario asleep at his desk. He gave an exasperated sigh as he walked across the lab's hard metal floor, almost falling in a heap as several minions bumped into him, not watching where they were going while playing tag.

"Hey! Watch eet!" Gru sneered. The three minions immediately turned their heads away in fear, the guilt clearly visible in their expressions.

"Ditto..." They murmured in unison, their tone predominantly solemn.

"What's goeeng on here!?" Gru exclaimed, motioning his arms around at the groups of minions who were prancing around, tripping over their own feet or precariously placed bombs...or both. "Haven't yoo guys got theengs to be doeeng!?"

"Hindi talaga." Jerry replied, giving a small shrug. Gru rolled his eyes and waved away the three minions, who immediately got back to sprinting around after each other. He moved over to the comatosed Nefario, leaning down quietly and moving his lips right next to his ear.

"Doctor Nefario!" He exclaimed, causing the old man to jump up and stutter in slight confusion.

"Wh-Who-Wha...Gru?"

"Nappeeng were we?" Gru questioned, narrowing his eyes. The doctor simply turned away awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Uh...of course not!" He argued. "What a ridiculous assumption! I was just...looking over these plans for a new invention."

He grabbed a nearby slip of paper and scanned his gave over it, pretending like he was deep in concentration. Gru peeked his head over to look at the slip of paper, chuckling after spying what was upon it.

"So yoo were lookeeng over plans to eenvent a unicorn?" Gru asked mockingly, crossing his arms and snickering. Nefario peered down at the messy blue and pink unicorn scribbled upon the paper, not needing more than a second to realize who it was drawn by, before letting off a large huff. How did that even get there?

"Well...um...I..." He stuttered, racking his mind in search of some sort of escape route. But, when your choices are between admitting to falling asleep or admitting to the desire of inventing a unicorn, the less ridiculous choice isn't obscure. "Fine! I fell asleep! It's just been so boring down here! There are no jobs to do anymore!"

"I thought yoo and Dru were workeeng on evil schemes and de such." Gru said.

"Well, so did I." Nefario replied. "But he went off to work with a new villain and I haven't seen sight nor sound of him in two days."

"Oh...really?" Gru inquired. His face immediately transitioned from a mocking frown to a worried glare. If his brother hadn't returned for that long, then he could be in trouble. The last thing Gru needed right now was to be forced into another rescue mission. He was getting a little tired of those. Nefario gave a slow nod, rubbing his eyes in the hopes of instructing them to operate correctly.

"Before he left, he said that he'd been invited on the evilest scheme ever devised or something..." He mumbled. "That was the last I heard from him."

"Ugh...well, eef yoo find out he's been keednapped or sometheeng, just heet me up on de speed dial." Gru stated quickly, exasperation ladled deep in his voice. "Now, I deedn't come down here for a good ol' game of find de misseeng brother, I need yoo to do sometheeng for me."

"Woah, woah. You know I don't work with AVL pansies." Nefario stated authoritatively. Gru frowned aggressively, narrowing his eyes at his former partner and current best friend. "No offense."

"Offense taken." Gru mumbled lowly, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists. "Yoo have no choice here, Nefario."

"Oh? And who says that, then?" Nefario responded, putting his hands on his hips and getting just as sassy as a teenage girl who had been grounded to her bedroom. "I'm pretty sure I have _plenty_ of choice on the matter."

"Not eef yoo want to keep dis lab." Gru stated, widening his eyes to emphasize the lethality of that threat. Nefario remained silent for a few seconds, simply staring at Gru with a look of indifference, before speaking quietly.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Eef I remember correctly, I still spend a lot of my earneengs on keepeeng dis lab powered weeth electricity and for repaireeng all de damage caused by de minions." Gru spoke. "Eet would be a shame eef dose earneengs suddenly...disappeared."

Nefario was reduced to a silent stare again, however this time, his expression was plastered with a thick layer of aggression. He shook his head, as if he was disappointed in something, before speaking with a sigh.

"It's a shame you kicked the bucket on villainy Gru," He stated. "You always knew how to structure a good threat. I guess I'm under your command, then. What do you need?"

"Good." Gru proclaimed cheerfully, lifting his head with a victorious smile. In all honesty, even if Nefario refused to help him out, he was never going to stop funding the lab. He just loved the place too much. "De asseestant de AVL provided me weeth has been murdered, and I need some help een findeeng out who deed eet."

"Hmm...sounds simple enough." Nefario said, nodding with a faint shrug. "What information do you already have?"

"He was shot een de head along de barren road beside Crestfall forest." He informed. "One of de agents weethin de AVL said dat he went to his apartment de morneeng after de murder, and de door was left wide-open, weeth de neighbors claiming dey heard a commotion de night before. He suspects a keednapping, wheech looks to be de most logical explanation by scanneeng de current evidence."

"Have you checked the security footage?" Nefario inquired.

"For what, de barren road or de apartment complex?"

"Both."

"I've got someone checkeeng de apartment complex at de meenute, but de footage for de barren road was tampered weeth." Gru explained. "Mostly for dat reason, and for some strange details on his corpse outline, I believe we're dealeeng weeth villains here."

"Well, that certainly makes things a tad more difficult." Nefario said, rubbing his chin in contemplation. "Did you say that it was your _AVL_ assistant that met his maker?"

"Mm-hmm." Gru spoke with a nod of the head.

"Then, chances are, there's a motive involved." Nefario replied. "I doubt someone would kill the assistant to the director of the AVL just for a blood kick. If that's your reasoning, a civilian would cause much less hassle. Did he do anything to provoke any villains?"

"Not to my knowledge." Gru informed, shaking his head. "De last time I spoke to heem, I told heem to do some eenternet research on...a villain."

Gru's eyes widened and his mouth fell open slightly. How hadn't he remembered this sooner? Nigel was instructed to do research on that Venin guy, who, if he could recall his briefing correctly, was a suspected villain involved in a multitude of mass-murders, abductions and thefts.

 _'Oh no.'_ He thought to himself.

"Hmm...sounds like a good enough motive to me, especially in a villain's case." Nefario stated. "Remember back when we were working together, and how infuriating it was when you found out someone was trying to dig up dirt on you. God, those were the days."

"I wouldn't particularly agree..." Gru spoke lowly, frowning a little. He didn't need reminders on some of the awful things he did back in the day, especially to those who were trying to scope out information on him. He could remember abductions and tortures being quite entertaining, but now that he'd transitioned to good-guy status, that concept sounded awful. Nefario chuckled a little before snapping back into the subject at hand.

"Which villain did you get him to do research on?" He quizzed.

"Some guy called Venin or sometheen-"

"My word, _Venin_!?" Nefario exclaimed, his mouth curling up into a smile. "I didn't realize he was still involved with villainy. I thought he gave it up after his wife passed."

"De AVL suspect he's slowly getteeng back eento eet." Gru explained nonchalantly, before perking his head up and twisting his expression. "W-Wait! Yoo know dis guy?"

"Of course I do! Don't you?" Nefario shouted, holding his arms out questioningly. Gru gave a simple shrug, not knowing any other method of responding. "He's probably one of the biggest and most successful villains of the past seven years or so! He's the one who managed to pull off that submarine-bank heist!"

"Oh...dat guy." Gru sang, nodding. Somehow, with still everyone unsure as to exactly how, Venin had managed to rob a bank situated in the middle of town with a submarine. He had always been a flamboyant villain, who would perpetrate heists in ridiculous ways to show off. Gru had found his flair incredibly frustrating, so he never bothered with the guy, even though he seemed skilled. He actually didn't realize his villain name was Venin until now. If he was going to be successful in this case, he needed more knowledge on his past. "Seence yoo seem very educated on de matter, I need yoo to tell me everytheeng yoo know about heem!"

"You want me to spill information on another villain?" Nefario queried. By Gru's look of indifference, as if he was confused as to how that was bad, the answer was clear. "Gru...you know I can't do that."

"Nefario! De lab!" Gru exclaimed, motioning his arms around the whole room. The minions were still bounding along the metal walkways, occasionally bumping into each other and the walls, usually proceeded by them falling to the ground with a painful bump. By their insistent silliness, it's a wonder how the minion race had survived as long as it had.

"I'm sorry Gru, even at the cost of the lab, I can't assist you in that regard." Nefario said, shaking his head and turning away from the AVL director. "We villains must stick together! Times are tough at the minute, especially since the IVB practically crippled the profession, what with all the culling and the brainwashing and the like."

"Nefario! Please, I just nee-" Gru started, before being interrupted by the buzzing of his mobile phone. He gave a deep huff before reaching into his pocket, fishing it out and answering it.

"Hello..." He mumbled, holding onto the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Oh? Oh...I'll be right dere."

Gru quickly shoved the phone back into his pocket and jumped from his seat, sprinting his way towards the lift.

"Woah, woah." Nefario exclaimed, a little startled by his unexpected jump from the desk. "What's going on?"

"De AVL have more eenformation on de case. I need to get dere quickly!" He shouted back, rapidly pressing the button for the elevator. As the pod descended, Gru was slightly startled by his brother stepping out as he went to jump on, giving a small whisper of surprise. Dru, on the other hand, shrieked loudly as his brother almost knocked him off his feet, nearly giving him a heart attack. "Oh, eet's yoo. Where've yoo been? Nefario said yoo've been gone for two days now."

"Oh, y'know, just getteeng up to my usual antics." Dru said, turning away with a shrug. He seemed incredibly guilty, as if he had done something very wrong and was trying to hide it. Gru picked up on his fear, narrowing his eyes inquisitively, but didn't have any time to question it, what with the AVL holding more important details.

"Well, I would love to stay and chat but I have theengs to be doeeng!" Gru exclaimed as the pod shot up with a faint 'whizz'. Dru gave a deep sigh of relief, happy to have avoided a frightening interrogation, before turning around and prancing over to the doctor.

"Nerfroid!" He yelled joyfully, making Nefario almost jump out of his own skin. As Nefario stumbled back, a litter of papers went sprawling off the desk and across the floor, most of them being important plans and inventions. Somehow, Agnes's drawing didn't move an inch, even though it was the closest one. After realizing it was just Dru, he calmed himself down with a relieving sigh before inquiring.

"Where've you been?" He asked aggressively. "I've been bored stiff for the past two days. Not to mention that the minions have almost killed each other more times than I can count!"

"Yes, I know, and I'm sorry." Dru spoke quickly, still retaining that childlike smile of pure joy. "But a lot of theengs have gone down, and now, I need yoo to help me een sometheeng _very_ eemportant!"

"Oh?" Nefario inquired, cocking his head to the side. "And what would that be?"

"Takeeng over de US!"

* * *

Jack had used almost faultless stealth to jump into Fred's bush and avoid Gru's line of sight as he dashed out the front door. His heart rate slowly began to descend back to a normal level as Gru's tank pulled out the driveway and sped off down the street. As soon as he was sure that the coast was clear, he leaped onto the lawn and made his way up the front steps.

He carefully strolled back into the house, lightly closing the front door behind him. The hallway was empty, the evening sun shining through the windows beside the door, and the whole house seeming strangely quiet. He gave his surroundings another quick glance, ensuring that the hallway was indeed empty, before tip-toeing his way to the kitchen.

He had spent the whole afternoon conversing with Violet on that bench atop Hunchback mountain. It had been brilliant. They mostly discussed each other's life stories, with Jack's being censored for obvious reasons, and then just started talking about random topics. She'd even brought some alcohol in her handbag, something Jack hadn't drunk since living in the IVB dorm, meaning his head was feeling a little fuzzy.

She seemed really touched when Jack told her what he had done for his sister, and how he'd gone through a lot to get her back. She was also extremely impressed by how he tackled a thief who had broken into the house to the ground in order to save her life. Of course, he said nothing about how the thief was actually an IVB brainwashed villain, and how a little while later, he used a handgun to splatter his blood across the backyard, but she didn't need to know about any of that.

However, with the hike, the lack of lunch and the fact that he hadn't eaten since 7:30 this morning, Jack was starved. By going into the kitchen and making something quick to eat, he would really be risking bumping into the girls, and then having to face an awkward explanation as to why he ditched them. But considering that his stomach was berating him senseless, and with the fact that the alcohol had slightly hindered his judgement, he walked down the hallway and into the kitchen, completely forgetting that it was, in fact, dinner time.

Lucy and the girls were sitting at the table, slumping in their seats miserably, immediately shifting their attention to the doorway the moment that Jack wandered into the kitchen. Edith only gave him a momentary glance, turning away angrily after realizing that it was her brother, the boy who broke a pinky promise. He stepped back in horror, almost tripping over his own feet in fright, before calming himself down and addressing the multitude of glares he was receiving.

"Uh...hey, guys." He said, attempting to act upbeat. "Why'd you all look so down?"

"We're starving..." Agnes moaned, holding onto her rumbling stomach.

"Have you seen Gru anywhere?" Lucy asked. Her head was rested in her palm, and her expression looked generally listless, most likely due to hunger. "He hasn't started dinner yet and it's almost seven."

"He just went rocketing down the street in his tank." Jack said, motioning his head down the hallway. The four females moaned in anguish, taking that news like salt to a wound. Jack scrunched his expression in confusion, looking towards the tall red-head. "Why don't _you_ just cook?"

"Because we don't wanna die of food poisoning." Edith mumbled angrily, keeping her gaze firmly locked on the table. Usually, when she made fun of someone, she would do it in a playful manner, but the hunger was causing her to direct it as a genuine insult. Lucy gave a sigh, turning away in a very small sulk.

"You can't cook?" Jack inquired.

"Nah, I'm hopeless at it." She mumbled, giving a small shrug. By her expression, it seemed like she felt genuinely disappointed with herself. "I'm more of a ruthless, stealthy AVL agent than a stay-at-home parent."

"Oh..." Jack mumbled, giving the girls a quick glance. Due to the hunger, they looked tired and lethargic, not anything like their usual selves. This was the perfect chance to redeem himself. "Well, in that case...why don't _I_ cook?"

"You can cook?" Margo questioned, perking her head up slightly. "I didn't know you could do that."

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Margo." Jack said, smirking proudly as he strutted his way over to the stove, acting as cool as that statement made him look. "Like, did you know that I once leaped from a burning horse carriage into a large river while in hot pursuit of a noncomplying villain?"

"Uh...I'm gonna say no." Margo responded, shaking her head and eyeing him up strangely.

"Well, I did." Jack said with a shrug, his smile growing wider. That memory was still as clear as day in his mind. Some of the things he'd got up to in his old life were so awesome and enthralling, but he would never trade the present day for that life back. He may have got to partake in a new crazy activity every day, but there was no loving family to come home to at the end of that day, so it just couldn't compare.

Even though she was still angry, there was no way Edith could allow this conversation to pass without getting at least some sort of say.

"Cool." She muttered, perking her head up a little to peer at her brother. However, she only kept her gaze there for a moment, lowering her head and allowing the frown to regain control of her expression once the anger was remembered.

Jack gave a small sigh, small enough so that it wasn't audible across the room, before reaching into the cupboard and scanning the insides. A packet of spaghetti strands, mince, garlic and a tin of tomatoes caught his gaze. The exact ingredients for spaghetti bolognese. It had been a while since they'd had that. In fact, the last time he'd had that particular meal was on...

...the day he'd found Edith.

Or, in other words, the best day of Jack's life, excluding the night that followed. Well actually, even though that night included the moment where he almost ended his own life, it was also the night that his little sister told him that she loved him for the very first time. Even looking back to that memory almost put tears in Jack's eyes, just like it did when those words left her mouth.

He gave the girls a small glance, smiled in admiration and then reached in to grab the ingredients. Hopefully, by the use of food and reminders, this should get him back in their good books. But either way, he felt an explanation was inevitable, so he should probably start preparing a good excuse, while also preparing a good meal.

* * *

Gru emerged into the briefing room, where his gaze was immediately enveloped by two agents, the both of them standing at a desk and looking back at him with expectant expressions. He didn't waste any time, sprinting across the room and to the desk, where the agent duo were situated in front of a computer monitor.

"Sorry to have bothered you, director," One of the agents spoke. By his voice, Gru immediately recognized him as the man he spoke to on the phone. "But I thought you'd want to see this."

The agent clicked a button on the keyboard, electing the large monitor to display a grainy feed of a large figure opening the door to one of the apartments in a large, rundown apartment complex. After he did so, he moved away to stand behind a nearby tree located on the edge of the parking lot, where he seemed to wait patiently. A minute later, the feed cuts to static.

"Uh...what deed I just watch?" Gru questioned, his expression twisting into a mix of confusion and anger. If this is what he'd traveled all the way across town for, he was not going to be a happy director, and someone was going to lose their job.

"That was the feed for Nigel's apartment complex, recorded twenty minutes before the kidnapping occurred." The agent explained. "The kidnappers were smart again, using some sort of blocking device to ensure that the actual abduction wasn't caught on camera, but...they weren't smart _enough_."

"Oh?" Gru questioned, cocking his head to the side. "How so?"

"The video we just watched was a recording of the kidnapper opening the door, in which to attract Nigel to the apartment and to allow his confusion to act as a distraction, thus making the kidnapping easier." The agent stated. "Obviously, considering the footage we just watched, they had forgotten to hijack the security footage for that moment, meaning we can identify the kidnapper on screen."

"Dat's great!" Gru exclaimed. "So...we could breeng heem een tonight den!"

"Uh...not exactly." The other agent spoke, his tone filled with worry. "After analyzing his face and allowing the super-computer to scan the civilian records, we identified him as Daniel Flint, a man who went missing several years ago."

"So?" Gru queried. "Eet's clear by dis keednappeeng dat he went off de grid to start a life of crime or sometheeng. Just look through de records, send someone to his house and arrest heem."

"We did." The agent replied. "The whole place has been abandoned, with no sign of residence in seemingly years."

"Oh...well, dat ees strange." Gru muttered, turning away in thought. "Maybe he just moved house."

"If he did, we would've had that on record." The agent explained. "Once he'd purchased a new property, his profile would've been automatically updated."

"What eef he used an alias?"

"The AVL doesn't create and update profiles based on names, director." The other agent stated. "We base it on fingerprint and DNA information, thus he would have to manually modify his own genes in order to buy a new house without us knowing about it."

"Hmm...dis ees...peculiar." Gru spoke, rubbing his chin in contemplation. At this point, however, he was just pretending to contemplate. He had no other ideas or thoughts left, and a solution to this problem seemed beyond comprehension.

"We're not done there, either." The agent continued. "We checked Daniel Flint's credit card activity, and he has been completely inactive since disappearing. We also checked airport departure details, and they have no record of him leaving the country. We even researched into his family, but all of them were murdered not long after his disappearance. Meaning, this guy has been surviving in the USA without a house, money or any family to live off of for years. For all intensive purposes, this guy should be dead."

"Ugh...my _God_! Can dis job get any more deefficult!" Gru exclaimed with irritation. The agents turned away fearfully, not wanting to anger him any further, looking out for the safety of their jobs. "Let me watch de cleep again!"

"Oh...uh, yes director." The agent spoke, pressing the same button to make the video clip replay. Gru kept his eyes firmly on the man, scanning his head. There was no mask, so this guy couldn't be Venin. Plus, if Venin had decided to take the mask off, the AVL wouldn't have been able to identify him as Daniel Flint, since Venin would never allow his real name to be on the records. He let out a huge sigh before rubbing his angered forehead.

"I do not know! I just... _do not know_!" Gru blurted, putting his head down. Where did he go from here? He may have the name of the kidnapper, but without any actual activity or records, there was nothing he could do with it. Unless...

"So, what do we do next, director?" The agent questioned. "Should we pass this case off as a bust?"

"Ugh...of course not!" Gru snapped aggressively, making the agent take a nervy step backward. Gru couldn't let his first murder case as director be a failure, as it would hand him a laughable reputation amongst villains. "Send de forensics team to gather a DNA swab of de door handle. I want Daniel Flint's DNA handed to me furst theeng tomorrow morneeng. Do I make myself clear?"

"Um...yes, director, but..." The agent started, not making eye contact. "As we said earlier, we already have his DNA on file, with outdated records attached to it. So what use would it be?"

Gru took a dangerous step towards the agent, who was a fair few inches shorter than the AVL director, until he was looming over him threateningly.

"Your job ees to do what I ask, not to ask questions." He muttered darkly, making the agent shrink down within himself. "Send de forensics team to Nigel's apartment _now_! Otherwise, your job weel suffer under de consequences."

"Uh...of course, director. How...unprofessional of me." He whimpered uncomfortably. "I will get right on it."

"Good!" Gru bellowed, as the aforementioned agent scurried off anxiously. "I don't want any more unscheduled phone calls unteel tomorrow morneeng. My time tonight ees goeeng to be reserved for my family."

"Understood, director." The other agent muttered in response, nodding his head before making his way out of the room.

Ahh, family time. Gru's favorite time of the day. It made the stress of another day as director entirely worth it. Whether it be snuggling up on the couch with them, or simply listening to Agnes's neverending stories about made-up unicorns, Gru could never tire of it. As he thought more and more about his family, a dreadful reminder appeared in his head...

...dinner.

"Uh-oh." He muttered under his breath, thundering his way towards the elevator out of the room.

* * *

Gru bolted through the front door and down the hallway towards the kitchen, breathing heavily under the intense pace he was demonstrating. As his legs and lungs burned in fatigue, he figured that, maybe, he was getting a little too old for sprinting all over the place, especially considering he hadn't eaten since around lunch-time.

What made everything much worse was the onslaught of moans and groans he was about to receive. It was nearing eight o'clock at this point, nearly an hour and half later than they usually sit down to eat, and the whole family were bound to be starving. Plus, considering it will probably take around thirty minutes to prepare dinner, by the time they finish eating, it'll almost be time for bed.

He emerged into the kitchen, awaiting the sight of his entire family stirring in hunger, not expecting to see them all happily eating spaghetti bolognese at the table. Gru looked down at the food and widened his eyes in slight surprise. It looked delicious.

"Oh, back in time for dinner I see." Lucy muttered sarcastically, smirking humorously at her husband. Gru shrunk down within himself sheepishly, awkwardly chuckling in embarrassment.

"Uh...yeah, sorry about dat." He mumbled. His senses were then immediately invaded by the strong, yet incredibly satisfying, smell of garlic. He pranced over to the table, a little like his giddy twin brother would, and stared down at the food. "Dat looks delicious. Dere's no way yoo made dat!"

He turned to his wife, twisting his expression in mocking confusion. Lucy smirked and stuck out her tongue before shoveling another spoonful of bolognese in her mouth.

"Nah, this is a Jack masterpiece." Jack stated proudly, smiling as brightly as the sun. Gru turned to him and wanted to narrow his eyes with a frown, remembering how he'd escaped him again and broke a pinky promise with the girls, but considering how his smile mirrored exactly that of Edith's, it was very hard to do so. "I...uh...made extra just in case you got home."

He motioned his head over to two pots left on the stove, one filled with spaghetti and another filled with bolognese. Gru gave them a glance before turning back to Jack and smiling gratefully.

"Oh, well...thank yoo." He said, giving him a nod. Jack returned it before getting back to eating. Gru wasted no time. In less than a minute, he was sitting with them all with a plate full of spaghetti, hoping that it tasted just as nice as it smelled. There was silence at the table for a minute, until eventually, Lucy broke it. Unfortunately for Jack, she didn't break it in an exactly brilliant way.

"So, what did you get up to today then, Jack?" She asked nonchalantly, not realizing how much deep water she'd placed him in. Jack lifted his head quickly, sending Lucy a slightly fearful look, before giving a sigh and talking with a tone of pure guilt.

"Hiking." He muttered quietly. He could sense Edith rolling her eyes and turning away slightly, only making him feel worse.

"Oh, that sounds cool." Lucy responded happily. She didn't seem to care about the whole skipping the job conversation thing, which Jack was admiring slightly. He had to admit, Lucy was a pretty cool mom. "With who?"

"Just...some friends." He replied, giving a faint shrug.

"I deedn't realize yoo had friends." Gru perked up, not looking away from the spaghetti. He had to hand it to the teenager, even though he was proving to be a bit of a pain, he didn't half make a good meal. Jack turned to him and sent him a small frown, crossing his arms.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He questioned irritably. Gru chuckled, talking with a mouthful of spaghetti.

"I deedn't mean eet like dat." He stated. "I just thought dat, y'know...seence you're too old for school and yoo won't get a job, de only people yoo knew were us. I bet yoo could make a lot of friends eef yoo found a j-"

"Ugh...please, Gru." Jack interrupted, shaking his head and sulking a little. "I've had a good day, could you quit with the whole job thing for tonight."

"Only eef yoo promise to get one soon." Gru bargained. Jack gave another small scoff, looking away and rubbing his forehead. He really didn't want to make that promise. The past three days had been so much fun, and he didn't want to ruin his chances of more fun days by getting a stupid job. After a few seconds of contemplation, he turned back to Gru, glaring inquisitively.

"Can't I just join the AVL?" He asked.

"We've had dis conversation, Jack." Gru began, pointing his fork at him. "Yoo're too young. Geeve eet a few years and den I'll make sure to get yoo eenvolved."

"Ugh...that takes me back." Jack mumbled under his breath, rolling his eyes. The IVB boss said pretty much the same thing to him when he was working there. "You know I can handle it, Gru! I mean, I saved all your lives. Excluding the fight with the boss, I was pretty much unbeatable."

"I know yoo could handle eet, Jack. But steel, geeve eet a few years, okay." Gru replied, this time much softer. "I just don't wanna see yoo get hurt again."

Jack's irritated expression faded into a small smile. He looked to the table and appreciated that response. He wasn't done arguing on the case, but for tonight, considering that response and his fatigue, he was going to leave it there. He gave him a nod, lowering his head and getting back to eating.

"But I'm not making any promises!" Jack exclaimed, lifting his head once more. "Jobs _suck_!"

Gru chuckled as he also got back to eating. He had to agree, jobs do suck. But everyone has to get one at some point or another. Unless, of course, you're born into an incredibly rich family, which will most likely end up in you becoming an uneducated waste of space. None of his family were ever going to grow up and turn out like that. He would make sure of it. He turned to his wife and daughters, who all seemed a million miles away during that conversation, and began chatting.

"So, what has everyone been up to today?" He questioned. "Excludeeng goeeng to Super Silly Fun Land again."

Jack lifted his head, turning his gaze around the whole family, until it eventually landed on Lucy, who gave him a clarifying wink. It didn't take long for her to deduce the question in his mind. Jack nodded his head in gratitude, thankful that she was there to fulfill his broken promise.

"Played on a GameDrive X." Edith muttered, keeping her head down and not moving her eyes off the spaghetti. She was still angry with her brother, but just like Gru, she had to admit that his bolognese was tasty.

"GameDrive X?" Gru questioned. "Dat console yoo want? Where deed yoo play weeth one of dose?"

"Nowhere." Edith retorted with a shrug. She figured that mentioning it was probably a mistake. Gru could sense her becoming slightly defensive, which was common of Edith, but unexpected in this seemingly innocent conversation. Before he could question it, Margo butted in and answered the previous question for her, this time truthfully.

"Over some boy's house." She spoke, glancing at her little sister with a smirk. Edith immediately lifted her head and turned to her, glaring with an almost lethal expression. Jack spluttered on his food, coughing and choking for a moment, before eventually turning to her.

"You went to a... _boy's_ house?"

"No!" Edith snapped, crossing her arms and frowning deeply. "Boys are stupid!"

"I saw you walk away with him, Edith." Margo said, lowering her head and grinning wider. This was incredibly evil of her, but she loved it. Every once in a while, you had to annoy your sisters, just for a little laugh. "Charlie was his name, right?"

"Okay, yeah, fine! I went to his house!" Edith blurted, turning away and lowering her head further. "But it was only to play with his game's console! It was none of that yucky kissy stuff or anything!"

"Good." Gru stated absentmindedly. He hated the thought of any of his daughters being interested in kissing boys. It was the first sign of them growing up. He didn't want to see his little girls ever turn into big girls, and it hurt to watch Margo as she slowly transitioned into one. He didn't need Edith joining her, especially since she was still only nine. Losing her to stupid boys at that age would kill him.

"Anyway, the only reason I did go to his house was because I was bored and _you_ weren't home." Edith stated, motioning towards her brother. "So, it's _your_ fault."

"Uh-huh...okay." Jack said, nodding his head and chuckling mockingly. He couldn't help but smile at her confession though. When she was bored, she would always come to him for entertainment, knowing that he could provide it. It made him happy that she would do that, so in return, he would always be there. Except for this occasion...

"Jack...?" Agnes questioned suddenly, stealing his attention away from his thoughts. "Are you bored of us?"

"What!?" Jack blurted, widening his eyes. His smile quickly transitioned to a look of shock. "Of course not!"

"Why did you break the pinky promise then?" Edith asked aggressively, crossing her arms. Jack turned to face her, ready to respond with his excuse, before hesitating. Why _did_ he break the pinky promise? He was a little unsure himself. Usually, he found family more entertaining than friends, so why did he leave them to talk with that Violet girl? And for that matter, why did he tell her so much about his life, considering it was something he liked to keep private. Surely, he wasn't...

...in love.

 _'No...'_ He thought to himself. _'That can't be it. There has to be another explanation.'_

"Well, you see..." Jack began, looking away for a moment in thought. "Everybody needs family. But everybody needs friends as well. So...occassionally...I might go out and spend time with friends. But that doesn't mean I'm bored of you, and it doesn't mean I'm gonna leave you all the time. Just...sometimes."

Agnes looked happy with that, nodding in understanding as she turned back to her meal. Margo didn't really need reassuring, since she seemed to understand beforehand. Edith, on the other hand, didn't seem so convinced. She uncrossed her arms and turned back to her food, retaining a stormy frown.

Jack had done all he could at that point. He turned away with a small sigh, deciding upon finishing his spaghetti instead of trying to convince her any further. She seemed very angry with him, and he was a little confused as to exactly why. He had been completely honest, telling her that he wasn't bored with her. So why was she still mad at him?

However, his explanation wasn't entirely true. Not the part on not being bored with them. He could never get bored of the girls, what with their constant energy and adorableness. How could you ever get bored of girls as cute as them? It was more the part on leaving them that wasn't completely true.

Violet had convinced him to go to the mall with her tomorrow, and he accepted without a second thought. And the day after, the two were going out to a party together. And considering that Gru probably wasn't going to let up on the whole job thing, then he'll probably try and get out of the house the day after as well. So, the occasionally part, might turn into more of a...

...most of the time part.

* * *

Venin sat at the large table in his hideout, his feet upon it once again, sipping his almost empty glass of whiskey and watching a very dated film upon the large TV. The climax of the film was almost upon him, and so far, he thought it had been incredibly cliché and cheesy. He hadn't particularly enjoyed it, leaving him in more of a sour mood once the credits displayed, actually making him scoff with dissatisfaction. He took the final sip of whiskey, motioning the empty glass towards one of his bodyguards.

"Dan!" He bellowed. "Put this in the dishwasher."

The bodyguard didn't hesitate. He moved over and took the small glass from the masked villain, proceeding to promptly leave the room for the kitchen. Venin huffed in boredom, still disappointed after that mediocre film, before turning to a globe that had been placed upon the table and grinning. He reached over and grabbed it, spinning it until it landed on the United States of America.

"Ah, the USA." Venin hummed, smirking evilly as he laid his eyes upon the country. "Such a blissful country full of happy people and loving families."

He placed the globe back down, reaching into a cupboard situated beneath the table and grabbing a hammer. He lifted it into the air and narrowed his eyes, aiming for his target. After a moment, he swung the hammer towards the globe, sending it flying across the room, replacing the USA with a deep dent.

"Pity that's all about to be snuffed out."

* * *

 _I just wanna thank anyone who has got this far into the story. It really means a lot to see people care about it and the characters._

 _If you enjoyed the chapter, please consider reviewing. Will post the next one as soon as possible, however, it might take a few more days than usual, as I have some stuff to do alongside writing._


	6. The Cool Trick

_Apologies for taking so long with this chapter, but a really frustrating bout of writer's block hit me and I've been struggling to work on it. I might start a second story along with this one, just so it can help aid my concentration when I get stuck in a bit of a rut._

 _Thanks to anyone who reviewed the last chapter. I received a lot of very nice words, so I really do appreciate it. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint._

* * *

 **Chapter Six -  
** _ **The Cool Trick**_

She was trapped. He had a firm grip on her, tightening his hand on her arm and pulling her away. She wasn't sure as to where she was being pulled to, but considering the events that had just unfolded, she knew it couldn't be a particularly great place. Not too far away was Jack, looking back at her with a look of indifference, standing with a casual swagger.

"JACK!" She yelled desperately, trying her hardest to break out of the man's hold. The tears were surfacing as the panic levels frothed over containable. "PLEASE!"

He didn't seem to care. He was disturbingly nonchalant as he watched the abduction. He seemed completely unfazed by the fact that she was crying hard for him. Was this it? Was her entire life about to revert back to the way it once was? Horrible? If Jack continued to stand there without a care for her safety, then it seemed the answer was clear.

Suddenly, a blinding cloud of grey crept from every direction, obscuring her view of the teenager, who still didn't seem bothered. The sky above was growing a darker color, the sounds of distant thunder easing closer, the storm perfectly mirroring the thoughts in her head.

"NOOOOOOOO!" She pleaded in fear, reaching out her other arm, as if she was trying to grab hold of him. However, Jack was way out of reach. At this point, he was over a hundred meters away. As the inevitable conclusion to this situation seemed to be inching closer to the worst outcome, her voicebox practically shattered in an attempt to scream for Jack's attention, but due to the heavy blanket of fear encasing her entire throat, a small whimper was all that sounded. "Jack...please..."

Finally, the cloud enveloped him. He disappeared. There was no-one left to help her. She was alone. She was too weak to force herself free of his clamped hand. She cried and pleaded and pulled but nothing would work. There was nothing left to do but watch her entire life fade further and further away.

And then, a fierce shake could be felt around her, making her mind buzz with a bewildering sense of confusion. It felt extremely vivid, a little like an extreme earthquake. Everything kept on shaking wildly, forcing her head to fall deeper into confusion, until finally, her mind broke free.

* * *

"Edith!" Margo yelled, shaking her younger sister's sleeping body. Edith stuttered in surprise as she sat up quickly, blinking rapidly. Her cheeks were red with fear and her breaths were fast-paced, as if she had just gone for a long sprint. She promptly looked to her left, where she spied Margo and Agnes beside her bed, the two of them looking slightly worried.

"Wh-Wha...what's going on?" She inquired, rubbing her squinted eyes.

"You were moaning in your sleep." Margo explained, twisting her expression and cocking her head to the side. Edith frowned and sighed heavily. To her, that was nowhere near a good enough excuse for waking someone up. Although to Edith, the world coming to an end probably wouldn't be considered a good enough excuse.

"You look scared." Agnes pointed out, standing up on her tip-toes to inspect her older sister's flushed face closer. Edith instantly turned her head away, frowning defensively.

"Pfft...I don't get scared!" She blurted. "I'm just...red...that's all."

Margo chuckled and rolled her eyes. There she was again, defending herself with some of the most ridiculous and pathetic excuses, trying desperately to hide her fear. It was crystal clear that she'd had a nightmare, purely based on the sleep moaning itself. She thought about questioning it, as she was quite curious to find out what it was about, but decided against it, mainly because Edith would probably deny having one.

"Come on, Agnes." Margo spoke, ushering her youngest sister away. "Let's go wake up dad."

The two bounded out of the bedroom, leaving Edith to sit in bed, alone with her thoughts. She laid back on her pillow and replayed the dream in her mind, recalling each and every detail. It was a strange dream. She was fairly sure Jack was the one calmly watching her being abducted, but due to the blur of her recollection, it truly could've been anyone.

If it was Jack, then why was he there? Why did he do nothing to save her from the man pulling her away? And, for that matter, who was the man pulling her away? She shook her head free of thoughts and slipped out of bed, making her way over to the wardrobe to get dressed. There were no plans for today, so chances are, it would be another day of boredom.

Yesterday wasn't too bad, though. While she was over Charlie's, she spent literally the entire time playing a zombie game on the GameDrive X, completely ignoring its owner. In fact, by the end of the day, she'd only said three words to him, and that was her telling him to 'turn it on'. Even though it was incredibly awkward, she wouldn't refuse the offer of going over again. The zombie game was pretty awesome, so turning down the chance to play it for a second time was ridiculous.

After getting dressed into her usual attire, she made her way out into the hallway, where Margo and Agnes were practically dragging Gru down the hallway towards the stairs. Edith couldn't stifle a giggle as she watched her father almost trip his way down the steps, struggling under Agnes's insistent pulls. As she got slightly caught up in laughter, she forgot all about the bad dream and it's weird meaning, the lingering fear fading along with it.

That was until Jack exited his bedroom, wearing pretty nice clothes and smelling strongly of deodorant. He came to a grinding halt as he noticed his little sister glaring back at him, offering her an awkward smile as she returned a narrow-eyed stare. She didn't seem angry, instead, she seemed suspicious and confused.

"Uh...hey." He spoke timidly. He gave his digital watch a quick glance before continuing. "You're up a little early aren't you?"

"Um...maybe I just wanted to get up early! Mind your own business!" She replied quickly and aggressively, turning away a little. She didn't want to mention the nightmare, as she didn't want to display her fears in front of her brother. He was such a cool guy who never got scared or intimidated, and sometimes, she wished she could be a little more like him. Jack raised an eyebrow at her defensive reaction, wanting to question it, but instead, passing it off as Edith just being Edith. After a second, she turned back to him and looked him up and down, motioning her hands toward his smart teal jeans. "What's with the get-up?"

"Oh." Jack said, looking down at his clothes fearfully. "Do I look stupid?"

"Well, yeah, but not because of the clothes." She said, crossing her arms and smirking proudly. Jack chuckled and rolled his eyes.

" _Ha ha ha._ " He spoke sarcastically, shaking his head. "I'm just...going out...so I thought I'd try and look nice."

"You're going out again?" Edith questioned, lowering her head slightly. The look of disappointment on her face was painful to watch, so Jack turned away and attempted to ignore it.

"Uh...yeah." He replied skittishly. Edith immediately put her head down to look at the floor, replacing the humorous atmosphere with one of sorrow. Jack gave her a quick glance, but immediately shifted his gaze away when dealing with the guilt became an arduous task. Without a moment's hesitation, he started towards the stairs. "I'll see ya later."

"Hmm...okay." She spoke quietly, watching as he began his descent towards the downstairs hallway. Just as he disappeared, she added one last second goodbye. "Love you."

But, he was too far away to hear her, leaving her with a silent response...

* * *

Dru woke up emphatically, just the way he used to. That feeling of unbridled excitement had returned, and he was loving every second of it. After giving Dr. Nefario a quick run-down of his capers during the Rome heist, he made his way to bed, where he had an early night. Unlike a few days ago, he slept peacefully without mental interruptions, grabbing himself a full eleven hours rest. And now, he was pumped for another day of evil villainy.

He practically fell out of bed as he giddily pranced towards the door. He made his way out into the lab, where Nefario was sitting at his desk, sipping on a mug of coffee and reading an article in the newspaper, which was detailing the confusion surrounding the mysterious disappearance of the Madonna di Loreto in Rome.

"Nerfroid!" He bellowed, startling the doctor out of his seat. Just before his invention plans sprawled across the floor again, he reached out and planted his hand on the top of them, holding them in place. After ensuring their safety, Nefario turned and gave Dru a scornful look, practically tearing through the energetic villain with his gaze.

"Would you stop with that!?" He boomed angrily. Dru immediately stepped back and turned away with a slightly awkward smile, not bothering to apologize.

"Yoo ready for a long day of terrorizeeng de people of earth!?" He questioned loudly, making Nefario wince under the uncomfortable decibels of his voice.

"Yes, yes! Just, please..." Nefario began. "It's a little early for all this loud schtick!"

"De past two days have been so _AWESOME_!" Dru exclaimed, completely ignoring the doctor's complaint. "Deed I tell yoo about de Rome heist?"

"Five times." Nefario responded bluntly, holding the bridge of his nose.

"Eet was de coolest heist ever!" Dru bellowed, staring up at the ceiling as he replayed the whole event in his head. "We stole de painteeng and de police came and we knocked dem out and den we ran away and den we got to fly back een a cool helicopter! I bet dose Italians are so confused right now!"

"Make that six." Nefario mumbled, resisting the urge to bang his head against the table repeatedly. He shoved his head back into the newspaper, pretending the cheery villain wasn't there. Dru chuckled before spinning his gaze around the lab. It was strangely quiet this morning, with no irritating minion shrieks and an atmosphere of complete concentration.

"Eet's pretty quiet een here." He said, furrowing his brow slightly. "What geeves?"

"Everyone's busy." Nefario said, not turning away from his newspaper. Dru eyed him up in confusion for a second, before giving a small nod of understanding, which was clearly disingenuous. After another few seconds of silence, he proceeded to question him further.

"Doeeng what?"

"What do you think?" Nefario inquired, now turning to face him. "If you want to get this mind-control ray finished soon, it's development needs to start today."

"Oh, right." Dru said, smiling and nodding. Dr. Nefario was proving to be a fantastic assistant, providing him with a clear reason as to why Gru decided to hire him in the first place. He didn't even need to do that whole respect thing, which is what Venin claims leads to efficient assistance. All he needed to do, was mention what he wanted, and it would get done. "So...how's eet goeeng?"

"From last I've heard from the minions, most of the research is complete." Nefario explained. "We'll most likely locate the parts we require by noon, and its construction will probably begin sometime this afternoon."

"Ah, dat's good." Dru said, nodding happily. Everything was perfectly falling into place. Or, at least he thought it was. He still had no clue as to the finer details of Venin's scheme, so at the minute, all he knew was that this mind-control ray was going to somehow propel them to president status. "When do yoo theenk yoo could get eet done by?"

"Hmm...I'd say tomorrow morning." Nefario said, doing a quick deadline calculation in his mind. "When did your little villain partner want it completed by?"

"He deedn't say." Dru said, giving a shrug. "But from what I can tell, he needs a lot of time to plan out his whole scheme, so I don't theenk I'll be heareeng from heem for de next few days."

However, as if it was a scripted event, Dru's mobile phone buzzed inside his pocket, electing him to fish it out and scan it. The caller ID listed it as an 'unrecognized number' prompting him to twist his expression in confusion. He was reluctant to answer it, purely on the grounds of safety reasons, until he apprehensively pressed the 'accept call' button.

"Um...hello?" He answered sheepishly.

"Ah, Dru." A familiar voice responded. "How is my villain partner on this fine morning?"

"Yeah...uh...fine." Dru replied, furrowing his brow in confusion. Venin was obviously the one on the other end, and as usual, a few bewildering questions accompanied him. "How deed yoo get my number? I can't remember geeveeng eet to yoo."

"What did I say yesterday, Dru?" Venin questioned. By the tone of his voice, you could tell he was smirking on the other end. "When there is something that I desire, that something becomes mine."

"Oh...um...okay..." Dru responded wearily. Venin's method of research was very creepy, both because it seemed to provide him with whatever private information he wanted, and because Venin sounded extremely menacing when he brought it up.

"Anyway, I'm calling regarding our fantastic evil scheme." Venin stated. "The finer details have been thought up, and now, I believe we're ready to move along with the plan."

"Oh...dat's great!" Dru exclaimed, giving Dr. Nefario a look of slight fear. "But...we haven't feenished de mind control ray just yet."

"No worries, Dru." Venin spoke. "We do not require that particular device just yet. The first part of the plan is one we can probably complete today, without the need of any extensive preparation. I would sincerely appreciate it if you could come to the hideout as soon as possible, so I can give you a quick run-down on our task."

"Of course! I weel be right over!" Dru responded happily. He promptly hung up the phone and got up from his seat beside Dr. Nefario. "I need yoo and de minions to continue workeeng on de mind control ray. _I've_ got some evil schemes to be perpetrating!"

Dru pranced his way towards the elevator, watching as Gru descended and entered the lab, electing him to come to a halt and give his brother an apprehensive glare. Gru narrowed his eyes at the blonde villain, who yet again, seemed guilty and skittish.

"Hey, brother!" Dru greeted, turning his gaze away awkwardly. "How are theengs een de good-guy world?"

"Stressful." Gru spoke, frowning. He had only been awake for an hour, but already, he was tired and frustrated. After the girls rudely woke him up and forced him into making breakfast, he drove across town to pick up the DNA swab from the AVL, and then drove all the way back. The traffic on both trips had been horrendous, to the point where Gru almost screamed in anger.

He looked around the lab with a confused glare, similar to how his brother did when he exited his bedroom, watching as all the minions seemed dead concentrated on their specific jobs.

"What's weeth all de work?" He inquired.

"Uh, well...heists and de such require a lot of research." He spoke, shrinking down slightly and smiling nervously, only adding to Gru's suspicion. After a moment of silence, Dru motioned his hand towards the small item in Gru's grasp. "What's dat?"

"Oh. Just sometheeng I want de doctor to analyze for me." Gru explained, lifting the small swab container to eye-level. "My asseestant has been murdered and I believe dis could help een trackeeng down de killer."

"Oh, I see." Dru replied, nodding his head in understanding. He turned his head away again, trying his hardest not to look anxious. Gru moved his suspicious stare back to his brother, who shifted uncomfortably, before quizzing him.

"Yoo wouldn't happen to know anytheeng about eet...would yoo?" He asked, lowering both his head and tone of voice. Dru immediately widened his eyes and gave his brother a hurt expression. Was he implying that he murdered his assistant? Dru would never do that! How could his own brother think otherwise?

"Of course not!" He boomed angrily. Another situation where his brother seemed to doubt his trust. It was becoming a common event at this point. "I may be a villain, and I may like my fair share of mischief, but I am _not_ a murderer!"

"Right..." Gru replied quietly, transitioning from the suspicious glare. He didn't really think his brother could've pulled off this murder, both because he clearly wasn't a killer and because he was obviously nowhere near cunning enough to tamper with the security footage, but it didn't hurt to cover every base. "Now, eef yoo don't mind, I have theengs to be doeeng."

"Hmph..." Dru mumbled aggressively, frowning as he pushed past his brother and into the elevator, which sent him flying up towards the living room with another quick 'whizz'. Gru gave a slightly guilty sigh before strolling through the lab towards the doctor, who heavily huffed after spotting the former villain.

"Let me guess..." Nefario began, putting the newspaper down and turning to Gru with his arms crossed. "You want me to help with the murder case again, and you're gonna use the lab to blackmail me into doing so."

"Good guess." Gru replied lowly, grinning at his best friend, who turned away and sighed.

"Fine." He muttered. "But I have work to be doing, so tell me what you what and then shove off."

"Great." Gru stated happily, as he placed the swab holder down on the table with a slight slam. Nefario looked down at the small item quizzically, peering back at the director in confusion. "On dis swab, ees de DNA of de man who keednapped my asseestant. De AVL identified heem as someone called Daniel Flint, but after lookeeng through de records, all we know all we know about dis guy ees dat he disappeared a few years ago, and has remained completely eenactive seence. Obviously, weeth de use of de supercomputer, yoo could gather a beet more eenformation on heem. I would like eet eef yoo deed so."

Nefario picked up the swab and looked it over. By scanning the DNA using the supercomputer and allowing it to dig up information on this guy, he could be leaking information on another villain. And, as he had explained the day before, that is the one thing he cannot do. He gave a gruff sigh before turning to Gru reluctantly.

"Okay, I'll do it." Nefario spoke. "But I will need time. The minions are currently using the super-computer for vital research. Research of which cannot be interrupted, due to its high importance."

"De minions?" Gru questioned, rolling his eyes. "I seriously doubt dat whatever _dey're_ useeng eet for ees very eemportant."

"Look, you either give me a day or two, or I won't do it at all." Nefario responded demandingly, pointing an authoritative finger at his former assistant. Gru rubbed his forehead in exasperation, cursing under his breath.

"Okay, okay, fine!" He replied loudly. "I guess dat geeves me more time to complete dat stupeed paperwork anyway. But when I come down here tomorrow, yoo best have de eenformation I need, otherwise, I weel not be happy!"

"Understood." Nefario mumbled, picking his newspaper back up and turning away from the director. Gru gave one last sigh, turning around and proceeding to make his way back over to the elevator. Once Gru ascended out of the lab, Nefario put the newspaper back down and spun his gaze around the room, ensuring that the coast was clear.

He moved over and picked up the swab, giving it another inspection. By going through with what Gru wanted, Nefario would practically be giving up his entire profession and joining the AVL as a goody-two-shoes assistant. That was not who the great Dr. Nefario was. He opened a nearby drawer and dumped the container inside, slamming it closed and locking it up with the correct key.

"Dr. Nefario is no AVL pansy!" Nefario said to himself, grinning as he moved through the lab towards the empty super-computer room, taking a seat in front of the keyboard and beginning research on the mind-control ray.

* * *

Jack and Violet sat upon a bench in the middle of the Paradise mall, conversing happily. People who walked past would shoot them odd looks as Violet broke into constant fits of laughter, which Jack adored. Making her laugh felt like a huge achievement, meaning his expression was constantly dominated by a proud smirk.

"Y'know, Jack," Violet spoke, calming herself down after a full twenty seconds of laughter. "I've really enjoyed hanging around with you recently. You're probably the coolest person I know."

"Uh...probably?" Jack inquired, his smirk growing wider. "I am _DEFINITELY_ the coolest person you know."

Violet giggled again. At this point, she was unsure as to whether or not he was actually joking. Did he genuinely think of himself that highly? She didn't really care either way. Whether he was being sarcastic or not, she found it extremely cute. Jack was loving every minute of the conversation, not being able to think of another place he'd rather be than sitting here with this girl, making her laugh with funny small talk.

"I can't wait for this party tomorrow!" Violet proclaimed, lifting her arms into the air in a small celebration. "You're gonna love it."

"As long as there's alcohol, I'm sure you're correct." Jack said, making Violet giggle again. "What time do you want me there?"

"Well, the party doesn't start 'til seven," Violet spoke. "But...I was thinking, maybe we could hang out before that. Like, I dunno, go for a walk around town and get dinner at a restaurant or something."

"Oh. Yeah, of course!" Jack replied cheerfully. "I'm down for that!"

"Great!" Violet proclaimed, beaming brightly. Jack couldn't tear his gaze away from her joyful expression, something he wasn't actually clocking in his mind. Finding it this difficult to look away from her was strange for Jack, but he didn't seem to notice. He was way too absorbed by her appearance. However, Jack's trance was abruptly broken when Violet lifted her head to look over his shoulder, pointing across the mall. "Wait...isn't that your sister?"

"What!?" Jack exclaimed in a panic, expecting to turn around and see Edith looking back at him. Thankfully, it was just Margo and two of her friends. If Edith found out that he was leaving her to hang around with some teenage girl, then she would probably get angry and stop talking to him for a few days. She hates boys, and because the two of them are so similar bar for gender, she thinks _he_ hates all girls. If she found out otherwise, she would probably overreact, thinking of it as some sort of betrayal or something.

After noticing the two of them, Margo said something to her two friends, most likely a brief explanation, before bounding over to the bench, making Jack turn away with a frustrated sigh.

"Ugh...here we go."

"Hi!" Margo greeted happily, directing her greeting more towards Violet than to her brother. Violet sent a large smile back, turning away from Jack in order to converse with the bespectacled twelve-year-old. "Aren't you the girl from the theme park? Violet, wasn't it?"

"That's me." Violet responded happily, extending her hand out for a handshake. Margo did the same and shook her hand, giving her a large smile. She wasn't sure why, but talking to this older girl made her feel mature beyond her years, a feeling she loved experiencing. She could see Jack sending her a vicious frown in the corner of her eye, only seeming to add to the want to annoy him.

"Well, I'm Margo." She spoke. "Jack's sister. What are you two up to?"

"Just chillin'." Violet replied with a shrug.

"Yeah, _just_ the two of us." Jack spoke, widening his eyes and speaking directly to his younger sister. Margo crossed her arms and glared at Jack angrily, just as Chester and Avery walked over to stand beside her.

"What's taking so long, Marg?" Chester questioned, still holding that proud smile that Margo adored so much. She immediately descended from the confident personality that she was a moment ago, to an anxious mess with an awkward smile.

"Um...Avery, Chester, I'd like you to meet Jack and Violet." She said, nervously motioning her arm in their direction. "My brother and his..."

"Friend!" Jack blurted quickly, as if he was defending himself from a huge insult. It took him a second to realize that his extreme reaction was probably a little offensive, and glanced at Violet sheepishly. However, she was still smiling at Margo and her two friends, and didn't really seem to care.

"Uh...this is Avery, my best friend." Margo spoke, motioning his hands towards the brown-haired girl. She gave Jack and Violet a small wave, which the two of them returned. "And...this is Chester, my boyfriend."

Boyfriend? Jack immediately shifted his gaze to Chester the moment that specific word hit the air. He didn't really care if Margo wanted a boyfriend, since twelve-year-old girls usually do, but he had to ensure that he was a safe person to date, in order to stick with the promise he made himself two months ago.

He looked back to that moment two months ago just before him, Gru, Lucy and Dru left for the IVB mission, when he was enamored in a hug with his three little sisters and his new father. He promised himself that no-one would ever hurt them, whether it be physically or mentally, and anyone who tried, would not escape with their lives. He had been sticking to that promise, and he wasn't gonna break it on this occasion.

Chester was a boy who looked around 5'7" with decently sized biceps, slightly smaller than Joe's, with an expression that was dominated by an always present proud smirk, attire that consisted of a causal grey tank-top and blue ripped jeans and hair that was brown and messy. After Jack had a second to analyze him, he decided that his opinion of him was definitely negative.

"Sup." Chester muttered, making Margo smile warmly and get closer to him, as if his voice acted like a magnet that was pulling her in. Jack twisted his expression in bewilderment, moving his gaze between both Margo and Chester, before standing up and ushering the former to follow him.

"Uh, yeah, _sup_." Jack responded sardonically, shaking his head. "Margo, could I have a little chat with you for a sec?"

Margo eyed him up quizzically, using her expression to relay the question in her mind, before reluctantly moving away from Chester and strutting over to follow her brother. The moment they were far away enough, Jack turned around to face his little sister and crossed his arms, frowning at her.

"I don't like him." He stated. Margo scoffed and crossed her arms with him.

"He's literally only said one word to you!" She replied. "How would you know?"

"Cuz I just do!" Jack bellowed, looking up and narrowing his eyes at Chester, who was now talking gleefully with Avery. "He looks like a tool, what with the whole ripped jeans and tank top and the 'I-think-I'm-so-great' smile. You need to break up with him!"

"Ugh...you sound just like dad." Margo replied, rolling her eyes and turning her head away. Flashbacks of the way Gru acted when he first met Antonio appeared in her mind. He was incredibly defensive and over-protective, acting like he was some sort of tyrant out to kidnap her and take her away forever. She knew the same would happen if he found out about Chester.

"Well, since we're on the topic of Gru," Jack said. "Does _he_ know about your little boyfriend?"

"Uh...no." She replied sheepishly. If her dad found out about this, then he would harp on about it until she broke up with him, something she didn't want to have to deal with again.

"Hmm..." Jack hummed, lifting his head and smiling evilly. "Wouldn't it be a shame if he found out."

"Jack! Please don't!" Margo pleaded, glaring at him with an expression that looked like it was about to explode any moment. "And anyway, I'm sure Edith wouldn't like it if she found out about your crush on that Violet girl."

"Wha...how do you know that!?" Jack exclaimed defensively. Margo grinned victoriously, crossing her arms once again and lifting her head with an evident sense of pride.

"You're as easy to manipulate as your sister." She spoke. Jack practically growled as he clenched his fists in anger. How did he let himself get tricked like that? And, for that matter, why did he even admit to having a crush on her? Surely, that wasn't true. He'd never had a crush or fallen in love before, so why would it happen now? But either way, Edith couldn't know about her, in fear of her trying to drive her away.

"Okay, okay, I won't say anything if you don't." He bargained, holding the bridge of his nose. The two shook hands as if to confirm the agreement, Jack continuing his lecture immediately after letting go. "But I'm warning you Margo, this kid looks like bad news."

"Yeah, yeah." Margo responded quickly, rolling her eyes in a small sulk. What was so bad about Chester? He seemed nice, and that smile he possessed was contagiously cute. The two made their way back over to Violet, Chester and Avery, Margo ushering her two friends towards a far-away store, hoping not to fall into another debate with her brother.

"Sorry about that." Jack said apologetically to Violet, deciding not to sit back down on the bench. "Fancy going somewhere else? Somewhere where we won't get hounded silly by siblings."

"How about the cinema?" She asked, standing up as the two strolled away.

"Complete silence, uncomfortable chairs, sticky floors?" Jack pondered. That sounded awful, especially considering he wasn't a big fan of movies as it was. But as he watched Violet walk alongside him, her figure attracting Jack's gaze, he realized that it wasn't _where_ he was that mattered, but more who he was with. "Sounds good to me."

* * *

Edith was leaning back against the fence in the front yard, watching Agnes play some game about unicorns and fairies while she sat on the grass. In her bout of boredom, Edith tried her hardest to follow along with the storyline her little sister was imagining, but actually struggled in doing so. She got lost somewhere around the time when the pixie king banished the evil gingerbread man to the forest of candy canes.

She really didn't want to stand there and watch her sister play this ridiculous game. She could easily just go inside and do something more entertaining. But, for the first time since meeting him, she was actually hoping Charlie would turn up and ask her over his house again. It wasn't to talk to him, since she still had no clue how to converse with someone who stutters all the time, instead, she really wanted to play on that console.

After ten minutes of standing around, wearing a frown that displayed the boredom plaguing her mind, Charlie appeared in front of the house, as if out of nowhere.

"H-Hey, Edith." He spoke, giving her a sheepish wave. Edith didn't bother returning it, instead electing to narrow her eyes and glare at him blankly. She expected him to turn away fearfully after being stung with her sharp gaze, but instead, he continued to stand there with an awkward smile.

"Hey, Charlie!" Agnes greeted, lifting her head and beaming. Charlie was a little startled by her voice, as before she spoke, he was completely entranced by Edith. He shook his head in a small daze, responding with a few blinks of slight shock.

"Oh!" He exclaimed. "Uh...hey, Agnes."

"Wanna play unicorns with me?" She questioned, lifting one of the toys that was shaped like the aforementioned mythical creature. "I'll let you be the pixie king."

"Um...I think I'll pass on that." Charlie replied, smiling in an attempt to not offend her. "But...thanks for offering."

Agnes shrugged as a response, not seeming too bothered by his rejection, followed by Edith unexpectedly strutting up to him, almost giving him a heart attack.

"Wait!" She boomed. "You didn't stutter!"

"W-What?" Charlie questioned, widening his eyes a little in confusion. The glare Edith was giving him was almost deadly. If Charlie had known Jack two months ago, he might've been able to recognize the poison in her gaze.

"You just spoke to Agnes without stuttering!" Edith explained aggressively, twisting her expression in confusion. Charlie knew where this conversation was going, and his heart rate elevated substantially in panic. "Why do you only stutter when you talk to _me_?"

"Uh...w-well..." He began, putting his head down nervously. How could he respond? Should he remain silent? Should he bring up a new conversation topic? Should he just admit it? After a few moments, he conceived a good response. "I g-guess...I mean, y-you're just s-so cool...and...maybe I-I'm afraid of s-saying the w-wrong thing."

Edith's killer expression melted almost immediately. Without knowing it, Charlie had just used the one trick that worked against Edith's aggression almost every single time. The cool trick. Or, that's what Gru, Lucy and Jack called it. In fact, even Margo knew that specific trick. She put her head down and transitioned to a look of indifference.

"Oh...I guess that makes sense." She mumbled, giving a quick shrug. Her mouth couldn't help but curl into a bright smile, perking her head back up to look at him. "I mean, I _am_ pretty cool."

Charlie smiled with her. Even though he quite enjoyed making her smile, he was now more nervous than he had ever been in front of her. If he attempted to speak, he was almost one-hundred percent sure his speech would come out as an indigestible slur. There was silence for a few seconds, one of which was painfully awkward, until Edith continued.

"Is your sister out of the house?" She asked. Charlie cleared his throat and tried his hardest to relax his mind. A lot of work had been put in to melt her aggressive state, so he had to be super careful in his choice of words, in fear of reversing all of it.

"Um...y-yeah, she i-is." He replied, nodding his head. "D-Do you wanna c-"

"Yeah, why not?" Edith spoke with a shrug, attempting to act as casual as possible. "I haven't got much else to do, and that console you have is _awesome_!"

Charlie beamed again as the two began their small trip towards his house. His heart was still beating uncontrollably fast, which was making him more awkward than ever. However, for some reason, he now felt a little more comfortable in talking with her, even if he may still stutter. When she came over the day before, he'd only managed to say three words, in fear of having a panic attack if he tried to say more. But today, he was confident he could squeeze at least ten without fainting.

Well, actually, maybe ten is a stretch...

* * *

Dru entered the large hall in Venin's hideout, peering upwards fearfully as a bodyguard glared at him fiercely behind his dark shades. He kept his head down and anxiously shuffled his way through the room, skittishly making his way over to the roundtable, where Venin and Fiona were waiting patiently. The latter shot him a disgusting look, while the former greeted him with a grin.

"Ah, there he is!" Venin proclaimed as Dru walked over and sat beside the former IVB receptionist. "The man we've been waiting for. Now that you're here, we can discuss today's task."

"I can't wait!" Dru squealed excitedly. "What's de plan?"

"Well, for the first part of the execution phase, I figured we could sort out a problem that could be a little bit of a bother if ignored." Venin explained. As he finished talking, a bodyguard came out from the kitchen and handed him a glass of red wine, which he must've asked for before Dru had arrived. Venin didn't bother thanking him. "The USA government are always alert, meaning there's a very small chance we can actually pull off the rest of the plan with their attention being primarily on general safety. So, what we need is another threat to put under their radar."

"Makes sense." Dru spoke, nodding. "What deed yoo have een mind?"

"Originally, I had plans to get another villain to start another evil scheme, which could act as a distraction." Venin stated, taking a sip of wine. "But in the end, I figured that one villain would not be able to take up the entirety of the government's attention, no matter how devastating their plan would be. One thing that definitely could take up their entire attention, however, is the threat of war with another country. So, today's task will involve giving the US government a war threat."

"Pfft...how can us three do that?" Fiona questioned, rolling her eyes. She had her head rested in her palm, and her expression was aggressively listless. "You realize that ticking off an entire country is a little more difficult than stealing some stupid little painting."

"Yes, I know." Venin replied, glaring at Fiona dangerously, as if he was about to cut off her breathing permanently with one swift movement. "But when it comes to providing a war _catalyst_ , then the task becomes a lot easier. All we have to do is assassinate the president or prime minister of a specific country, such as the UK, frame the US army, and then watch as threats of retaliation steals the attention of the US president and the entirety of his government, giving us space to complete the plan."

"Wait... _assassinate_?" Dru questioned, inching forward in his seat. "Yoo mean... _kill_ someone."

Venin turned and inspected the shock in Dru's expression. At first, he was confused. But after a moment, he figured that he must be uncomfortable with murdering. A villain who refused to kill someone? That was absurd. He remained completely silent for a few seconds, both Venin and Fiona staring at him in perplexion, until the masked villain broke it by continuing.

"Did I say assassinate?" Venin questioned. "I meant...kidnap. We kidnap the prime minister of the UK and frame the USA for it."

"Ohhhh..." Dru spoke, his worried expression transitioning to relief as he nodded in understanding. He chuckled and slumped back into his seat. "Yoo had me scared dere for a moment."

Venin chuckled with him, trying his hardest to keep up the act. Fiona shot the masked villain an expression of shock, Venin returning a glare that demanded her to play along, until he continued with his explanation.

"If we use a tranquilizer gun to knock out the prime minister during a speech, we could easily kidnap him, and then frame the USA by leaving a certain type of evidence that would point the blame to the US government." Venin stated. "If we leave behind an M4 carbine, a weapon exclusively used by the US military, then that should suffice in framing them."

"Sounds good." Dru said, nodding happily. "Where could we get one of dose guns den?"

"I have been an avid collector of weaponry since joining the villain proffession." Venin explained, smirking proudly with that statement. That fact, plus the glass of red wine, made Venin look incredibly sophisticated. "I know for a fact that I have that specific carbine somewhere in the basement."

"So...can we do dis tonight?" Dru asked, leaning forward in anticipation.

"Mm-hmm, I do believe we are ready." Venin replied, nodding in confirmation. Dru gave a little squeal as he bounced excitedly in his seat. Fiona was practically digging Dru apart with her lethal gaze at this point. "Let's get going."

"Wait!" Fiona exclaimed, finally shifting her line of sight to Venin. "Could we have a little chat first?"

Venin glared at Fiona in slight bewilderment, as she continued to shoot him strange looks. After a few seconds of silence, the masked villain turned to Dru and spoke politely.

"Would you mind waiting out in the reception, Dru?" He inquired, giving him a kind smile. Dru momentarily glanced at Fiona, giddily nodding in agreement, before making his way out of the room. Again, he kept his head down as the multitude of intimidating glares from Venin's bodyguards caused him to shift in fear. As soon as he left, Venin turned to his other partner and spoke, not before sipping his wine once again. "What do you want?"

"What do you think!?" Fiona snapped, motioning her hand toward the exit door. "That idiot is too much of a wuss to kill anyone!"

"Yeah...so?" Venin argued, shrugging.

" _So_ , he needs to go!" Fiona bellowed. "He's just a hindrance! There's no way we can kidnap the UK's prime minister without getting shot! The only way we can frame the US and get a war threat is to kill him, and the only way to kill him is to get rid of Dru! We need to just kick him to the curb and get someone else on board!"

"We _CANNOT_ remove Dru from this plan, Fiona!" Venin stated loudly, leaning over the table to inch closer to her. "It is imperative that he is involved!"

"Why!?" Fiona scolded. "He's useless Venin! I may not be happy that I'm not getting much of a say in this plan, but I still want us to finish it! There's no way we can do that with his childishness getting in the way!"

"Look, I chose Dru on very specific grounds," Venin began, lowering his voice threateningly and pointing a finger at the middle-aged woman. "He may be incompetent and childish, but there is a very big reason for him being involved."

"Oh? And what reason is that then?" Fiona questioned, crossing her arms in a sulk. "Because if it's for his skill, then you're just as much of an idiot as he is!"

"I cannot tell you my reasoning just yet." Venin replied, making Fiona scowl loudly and roll her eyes. "Just know, that my plan is incredibly extensive. Dru and his family have something that I need, and the only way to complete my plan successfully, is to have him involved. If you want, we can just kill the prime minister and pretend we've kidnapped him to make it easier and to satisfy Dru, but in whatever case, he has to be in the group. You'll find out why soon enough, Fiona. And then, you'll understand."

"Ugh...I highly doubt that! I could never understand why you'd want a guy like that as your right-hand man in presidency!" Fiona spoke, turning away with a frown. "Let's just get this assassination stuff over with."

As Fiona stormed out of the room, Venin stayed in his spot for a moment and looked up at the ceiling in thought. The reason for having Dru involved was incredibly important, primarily to him. It was his wife's dying wish, one he had promised her he would fulfill, and she had already been waiting three years as it was. He could not let her down! This plan had to be successful. He was going to be happy again. He was going to make up for that huge mistake that was plaguing his entire life!

And the whole of the USA was going to suffer as he went about fixing it!

* * *

 _As I said at the beginning, I hope this chapter didn't disappoint, as writing it was a huge struggle. Hopefully, the seventh chapter will be a lot easier to write, and I will have it up a lot sooner._

 _Again, another thanks to the reviewers and anyone who has got this far. Really does mean a lot._


	7. Unseen Hunter

**Chapter Seven -  
** _ **Unseen Hunter**_

Edith entered the downstairs hallway of Charlie and Violet's house, strutting through the front door like she owned the place. By the way in which her gaze snapped left and right around the interior, you'd think she was some sort of safety inspector, ensuring the hallway contained no hazards or dangers to health. In reality, she only did so to look important, making sure Charlie knew she wasn't one to mess with.

Charlie traipsed in behind her, that anxious expression still dominating his face. Edith gave him a short glance, one which he awkwardly returned, before starting towards the stairs, already knowing the location of Violet's bedroom within the house. Charlie remained still for a moment, as if his brain took a few moments away from functioning, scampering forward to walk just behind her once regaining control of his own thoughts.

He was still afraid. There wasn't any point in trying to hide from it. The fear was a major part of his personality, a component that would never let up. Every time when he realized he should be talking when he wasn't, or anytime where his mind would nervously cut-out mid-conversation, another sharp chip was drilled from his confidence. However, anytime where Edith would give him any other glance that wasn't a frown of pure disgust, or a statement that wasn't deeply insulting, he felt a momentary pulse of determination. He wasn't going to give up, not until Edith accepted him as a friend.

The two emerged into the upstairs hallway, where they turned left towards Violet's bedroom. As they wandered past a door that had been left open a crack, Edith came to a complete halt to stand just in front of it. Charlie, who was lost in another fearful trance, had to adjust quickly and stop himself before he lost his footing and roughly crashed into her. She shot her gaze through the small opening, inspecting the wild colors stuck up on the wall inside the room.

"Is that an Unseen Hunter poster?" She questioned, narrowing her eyes in order to analyze it closer. If what she was seeing was indeed true, then her opinion of Charlie would ascend almost instantly. Unseen Hunter was possibly one of the coolest cartoons on TV. It followed a female ninja, who had an assortment of lethal weapons and unbeatable skills, as she fought her way through the criminals and villains of the underworld. A little like Lucy did.

Every Saturday evening at seven o'clock, when the show would air weekly, her and Jack would sit in the living room and watch it together, not missing a single episode since he'd moved in with them. She used to love watching the show on her own, but absolutely adored watching it with him. He would always add quirky one-liners to every scene, never ceasing to tickle her a little. As she thought back to those moments with her brother, or should she say the _best_ brother, she couldn't help but break into a small smile.

Charlie watched as her mouth curled into a grin, something he couldn't help but mirror himself, noticing the opportunity to impress her present itself. He moved forward and pushed the door open fully, electing the entire room to become completely visible. Edith's mouth immediately fell agape, feeling the sudden urge to rub her eyes in search of hallucinations.

"Not j-just a poster." He said, smirking proudly as he watched her amazed reaction. Every wall within the room was covered with Unseen Hunter posters, each one seeming to get cooler as she moved her line of sight over them. Memorabilia and action figures were placed atop every surface and DVDs and books were neatly ordered upon the shelves, each one depicting that female protagonist in a different way. Even the bed covers were Unseen Hunter related.

"I...how...you..." She stuttered, walking forward into the room, moving her gaze around everything in pure amazement. This room was like nothing even her dreams could conceive. To her, this was practically heaven on earth. She wanted to play with every single toy she could lay her eyes upon, and she wanted to watch every episode of every DVD that was available to her. "This is _AWESOME_!"

"I-It is?" Charlie responded. He watched as she practically danced around the room, implanting her gaze upon every piece of Unseen Hunter merchandise in her vicinity, lightly touching them to check if they were really in front of her.

"Yeah! Unseen Hunter is like the _coolest_ thing ever!" She proclaimed, turning around to him with the largest smile he'd seen her display. She had a cute smile. One that seemed to contagiously brighten up his own expression. Immediately, a rush of confidence flooded his mind, one that made the fear disappear almost entirely. "How did you even get all this!?"

"I've been collecting since I was six." He spoke, moving forward and picking out one of the discs housed within the shelf. Edith watched him in slight confusion as he did so, already building up her next question in her head. She adjusted her gaze to the disc cover in his hand, spying the colorful female ninja printed on the front. Upon closer inspection, it was the new Unseen Hunter video game, released only a few months ago at an expensive price-tag. "I only got this two or three days ago. I haven't even taken it out of the cover yet."

"You've stopped stuttering..." Edith stated suddenly. Absentmindedly, she found herself pointing a finger directly at him, as if to rudely put him on the spot. If Edith's expression was anything but that same glorified smile, Charlie would've felt immediately intimidated, and the stutters would've almost definitely returned. But without that digging frown that Charlie had accustomed her with beforehand, his confidence remained intact.

"Yeah...uh...looks like." He replied with a shrug, still mirroring Edith's enamoring smile. He lifted the aforementioned video game directly in front of her, motioning his head out of the doorway as he did so. "Wanna play it with me?"

Edith's eyes widened almost immediately. How could she ever refuse that offer? The female ninja pictured right in front of her eyes was practically begging her, demanding for her to play this game with this boy. Her excited smile transitioned to an evil smirk as she snatched the game out of his hand and darted out of the door, her destination being the GameDrive X located in Violet's room.

Charlie was, at first, slightly startled by her abrupt sprint, but found himself transcending to a smile as he calmed down. He remained engulfed in thoughts for a moment, finding himself replaying that entire moment on repeat in his mind. As he did so, his senses were curtly alerted by a missing presence. His heart-rate had slowed back down to its normal speed, differing from the hyperactive pace it was a minute ago. Where was this sudden jolt of confidence coming from?

There were many feelings hitting him at this moment in time. Glee, nerve, accomplishment. They had control of his mind, acting as a constant reminder of the situation. But with enough work, he managed to push them back, storing that sense of accomplishment away for later. He felt beyond proud of himself. Not only because of his persistence, the way in which he put in a shift to acquire Edith's friendship, but also...

...he'd managed to beat his target of ten words.

* * *

The UK prime minister strutted up to his podium upon the stage, adjusting his body to glare right out at the hundreds of figures in front of him, who were watching intently. They were mostly politicians, but a few here and there were just relatives of important people, using their family relations to acquire large statuses. He gave them all a brief smile, lifting his set of papers which detailed the speech for presenting his new tax-plan, before starting his announcement.

Meanwhile, as everyone concentrated on the prime minister and his speech, no-one had noticed the three villains who had broken into the building, currently perched atop a high walkway and inspecting the scene below. As they carefully crept along the metal floor, Dru couldn't stifle occasional snickers, ones which invited aggressive glares from both evil partners. After a minute of creeping, the three had reached their desired vantage point.

"Okay, I think this is the best position to take the shot." Venin whispered. Dru listened closely while Fiona shared her attention between her villain partner and the chewing gum stuck to the floor. "Dru, I need you to go over to that walkway there, and drop the carbine to the floor in order to create a slight distraction, while also providing the catalyst. Fiona, I need you to stay here with me and keep watch while I aim the shot. Once I've knocked him out, one of my assistants is on hand to collect his unconscious body, meaning we can concentrate on the escape."

Dru gave the sniper rifle in his grasp a suspicious look. It seemed like a dangerous weapon. Possibly, a lethal weapon. Definitely not one that simply made it's victim unconscious. Venin claimed he was only kidnapping him, but by the looks of his chosen gun, this claim didn't seem reliable. Venin noticed the doubt written on his partner's face, lowering his head and electing his attention by speaking softly.

"Don't worry Dru," He started quietly. "It's loaded with tranquilizer darts, not bullets. I don't lie when it comes to schemes."

Dru perked back up and gave a nod, replacing the doubt with his previous joyful grin. He silently moved back across the walkway, the M4 carbine firmly in his grasp, making his way towards Venin's requested position. Once he was far away enough, Fiona sluggishly turned her head to Venin, giving him a half-bored frown.

"He may be incredibly stupid, but when a fountain of blood sprays across the stage, I think he's gonna know we didn't use a tranquilizer dart." She said frustratingly. Venin removed a cleaning cloth from his pocket and wiped the scope, removing any blemishes that could obscure the shot, before addressing Fiona's argument.

"Not from where he's standing." He responded, pointing over to Dru's walkway. It was all the way across the other side of the room, hanging over the left side of the hall. "You can't see the stage from there, so he won't have a clue."

Fiona simply scoffed, still unhappy that she was being forced to work with someone as ridiculous as Dru. If they succeed with the plan, there isn't a chance in hell that she's going to work alongside him in presidency. She'll simply have him killed, and blame the murder on someone else that she didn't like. That way, she can be excited about finishing the scheme, while also not dreading the time when she'll have to listen to that infuriating voice each and every day.

Dru finally got to his position on the other walkway, capturing a view of the entire audience. Some looked bored beyond belief, obviously being forced to attend, while others slowly nodded along to the lies the prime minister was spewing. By the general tedious atmosphere within the room, distracting them with a loud noise shouldn't be too much trouble. He hung the carbine over the walkway before releasing his grip, sending it down to the ground with a loud thump.

Everyone, including the prime minister, immediately shifted their gaze to the location of the thud. One of the bodyguards, who had lost concentration beforehand, shuffled over to the carbine and lifted it up. He recognized it immediately as the exclusive US army gun, widening his eyes as he shifted his gaze to the walkway above. Unfortunately, since he was directly below it, he couldn't spy the figure upon it, leaving him without confirmation.

Before he could move backward and get a view of Dru, a loud gunshot penetrated the air, forcing multiple shrieks of shock to thunder around the room. The prime minister instantly fell to the ground, destined to never get back up. The bodyguard widened his eyes and sprinted over to him, almost puking as the assassination victim came into his line of sight.

Venin and Fiona immediately sprinted across the walkway, the former ushering Dru to follow. The three met up and bounded out of the room, the sounds of their feet pounding along the metal being obscured by the shouts and gasps of surprise and dread from below. Without their knowledge, the USA government had just been unintentionally involved in a planned assassination of the UK prime minister, sure to attract threats of war and retaliation.

* * *

Gru paced up and down the downstairs hallway, soothing his irritating headache and attempting to get slightly active. He'd just spent the past three hours reading through reports and profiles, checking through each one carefully and analyzing the information presented upon them. Doing this everyday was proving to be a difficult job, what with more and more paperwork coming in just as he'd finished the latest batch, but he had no choice at this point.

There were still many left to finish, and even with the added support of five cups of coffee, he was still mentally drained. He hoped that getting on his feet and walking around would provide his mind with some rest, but with the looming prospect of another few hours worth of paperwork, he couldn't escape the buzzing thoughts of frustration.

Not only that, but the reminders of the murder investigation, and how things were becoming more and more difficult, added a layer of stress to that already out of control frustration. He was genuinely unsure as to whether or not Dr. Nefario would help him out, even with fake threats to the lab's safety. At the minute, things looked hopeless, with the most likely outcome being to give up and move on.

He gave a loud huff before coming to halt. There was no escaping this, and he knew that full well. What was the point in procrastinating by simply walking up and down the hallway? He just needed to get back into the kitchen and finish his work. Then, he could spend time with his beloved family and have much-needed relaxation time. He strutted back down the hall and into the kitchen, the pile of paperwork upon the table immediately forcing another huff out of his lungs.

He slumped into the seat and sluggishly lifted the first form from atop the pile. It was about someone named 'Harold Jones', detailing his personal information and crimes. As he read through his list of misdeeds, he couldn't hold back a twisted cringe of disgust. There were a few accounts of murder and shoplifting, common for most AVL criminals. But what was certainly out of the ordinary, were the other accounts of despicably vile actions. Let's just say, you'd have to make sure your kids were out of the room before you read the list aloud.

He checked the information, much to his dismay, and analyzed the reports. Thankfully, the man was locked up in a maximum-security prison, ensuring he could do no more harm to the public. He signed it off as 'not a threat' before placing it down in his completed pile and moving on to the next form.

This one was about a former villain named 'Simon Joshua'. According to the report, he had been arrested under multiple accounts of child abuse and abductions, supposedly working for the IVB at one point. The form detailed his involvement in the development of a mind-control ray, which was used to manipulate children into killing each other and working under his demands. It seemed by each new profile that he read, these scumbags got worse.

According to the report, he too was locked away in a maximum-security prison, which was pleasing to read. What made Gru immediately panicky was the extra information written at the bottom. Supposedly, just before Gru had used the detonators to blow up the whole of the IVB's headquarters, someone had breached the perimeter and stolen the mind-control ray, meaning it was currently in the wrong kind of hands.

This wasn't ideal. With the use of a mind-control ray, entire countries could be controlled into following malicious demands and instructions, placing a huge threat to safety on the entire world. Gru was just thankful the IVB only decided to use it for brainwashing children, otherwise, the earth could've ceased to survive the reign of destruction they could've orchestrated.

He immediately scribbled the words 'immediate threat' upon the form, shoving it into his pocket and scampering out into the hallway toward the living room after doing so. Lucy was inside, pretending to sip from a cup as she played tea party with her youngest daughter. Agnes shot Gru a bright smile, one of which he couldn't return due to the circumstances, before getting back to her fake tea. Gru quickly implanted a worried gaze upon his wife, jittering slightly with urgency.

"I need yoo to look after Agnes for an hour." He requested swiftly. Lucy scrunched her expression in confusion, bewildered by the sense of fear written on her husband's face.

"What's going on?"

"We might have another problem." He started. "I'll tell yoo about eet later. I shouldn't be too long."

"Oh...uh, okay." She responded with a shrug. Without another word, Gru darted back out into the hallway and thundered towards the front door, the looming threat of mind-control domination controlling his thoughts. After he left, Lucy got back to fake tea sipping with Agnes, as she looked up at her mother and quizzed her.

"Why is daddy always so busy?" She asked. Lucy finished downing the empty cup, showing that she might've got slightly too engrossed in the game, before answering.

"Well, he's a very important man now, sweetie." She replied. "He has a lot of bad-guy catching to do. If he doesn't do it, then some people might get hurt."

"Oh." Agnes responded, lowering her head as she got lost in another expansive thought process. "Why _are_ there so many bad guys?"

"I'm...I'm not sure." Lucy spoke with a shrug. It was a good question. Why _were_ there so many bad guys? Why did so many people take pleasure in causing other people pain and misery? "I guess...some people just aren't very nice."

"Well, Uncle Dru is a bad guy," Agnes stated. By each new question that she asked, and by each new thought that entered her brain, her expression got a little lower. "Does that mean _he_ isn't very nice?"

Lucy was a little stumped for a moment. Dru _was_ a bad guy, but to perceive him as 'not very nice' just didn't fit his character. He was bubbly, energetic and always giddy about every situation. She had seen a few of his heists, all of which she had thwarted, and it seemed he was a little like Gru in the way of villainy. He was content to go around committing crimes, such as stealing artifacts or trespassing private property, as long as it didn't end up costing lives or causing too much pain.

Looking back to that night two months ago, when Lucy managed to cheer up her saddened husband after he committed his first murder, she remembered deducing that being a bad guy isn't much of a choice. You're either born bad, or you're not. Gru wasn't born bad or as a villain, made obvious by his present conscience, he just slipped into the wrong profession.

Dru was almost definitely the same. A man who wanted to follow in his father's footsteps, but wasn't born to be a real bad guy or follow the worse kind of villainy. On that account, you just can't characterize him as 'not very nice'. Rather, you could characterize him as mischievous. A little like a certain nine-year-old and her seventeen-year-old brother.

After a few moments of silence, Lucy warmly smiled and turned to Agnes, who had her head perched high as she awaited the response, and spoke softly. It was clear she was a little nervous.

"No, Uncle Dru _is_ nice," She reassured. "And I wouldn't say he's a bad guy, more a menace. Just like Edith, except bigger."

"Oh!" Agnes replied, this time cheerfully and accompanied by that usual bright smile. She happily got back to her empty teacup, which was obviously full to the brim in her imagination, and took a large gulp. Lucy chuckled a little, not managing to contain her proud smile. She had to admit, she did a good job there.

She really was becoming a great mom.

* * *

The glass elevator opened up and allowed Gru an entrance into the briefing room. It was business as usual inside, agents scattered around computers and tables, discussing plans or researching criminals. The same two agents who showed him the apartment's security footage were stood around a large screen, sipping coffee and doing absolutely nothing.

Gru approached them, feeling the weight of Simon Joshua's profile in his pocket, attracting their attention with an abrupt clear of his throat. The two agents jumped a little in surprise, turning around and placing a fake look of pure concentration upon their faces. It was painfully obvious that they were simply chatting beforehand, not actually doing any real work of any kind.

"Oh, uh...hello, director." One of them greeted, seeming slightly flustered. "What are you doing here? I thought you had work to do at home."

"I do, but I stumbled across a leetle issue." Gru stated. He removed the profile from his pocket, handing it to the aforementioned agent. "Have yoo read dis before?"

"Um...no." He replied, taking a short while to quickly scan the printed information. Nothing out of the ordinary jumped off the page at him, leading him to twist his expression inquisitively. "Why?"

"Read de bottom part." Gru spoke, motioning his head at the paper again. Another short silence filled the air, Gru and the other agent waiting patiently as he read the note at the end, the two agents sharing brief confused glances. After digesting the information, the agent turned to the director and spoke.

"I'm still confused." He admitted. Gru scowled and snatched the profile back, electing the agent to cower wearily.

"Can yoo not read!?" He bellowed, unintentionally gathering the attention of the entire room. As he watched every agent turn away from their work to look at him, Gru's frown grew more aggressive, snapping his gaze across a multitude of agents venomously. "What are yoo all lookeeng at!? Get back to work!"

Obviously, to protect the safety of their jobs, each agent didn't dare argue and abided by his demand. Once ensuring the room had returned to a work environment, Gru turned back to the two agents, who looked deathly sheepish, and continued.

"Dis guy built some mind-control ray for de IVB, and just before de base got destroyed, eet was stolen!" He stated. "Do yoo know what dat means!?"

"Um...you're afraid the whole world could be taken over by some villain with a stolen mind-control ray." The other agent spoke. He wasn't hiding his nerve, which wasn't going to happen even if he tried to, clearly anxious that his suggestion was incorrect. Gru turned to face him and sighed, giving a quick nod.

"Finally!" He replied dryly. "We need to find out who stole eet and get eet back. Who knows what kind of awful theengs he could be planeeng weeth dis weapon!"

"So...do you want us to put the Nigel assignment on hold?" The agent questioned. He practically jumped out of his skin with the director's response.

"Do yoo remember me sayeeng dat!? Huh!?" Gru replied with acrimony. The agent shrunk down into himself skittishly, turning his head away in the hopes of hiding himself. In his bout of fear, he forgot that simply turning away doesn't make you invisible. "I want full concentration to be placed on _BOTH_ assignments! Do I make myself clear!?"

"Uh...y-yes, d-director." He replied with trepidation. Just as he thought the conversation had reached an end, Gru moved in closer to the two of them, ensuring he was looming directly above them.

"Now, eef I was yoo, I'd get back to doeeng _WORK_ , eenstead of chatteeng!" He exclaimed. The two agents were too intimidated to respond, instead electing to turn around and get on with some internet research. Gru nodded proudly to himself, still retaining a dark frown to ensure the continuation of his daunting presence, before making his way back to the elevator to begin the drive home.

He felt there was pressure building on him and his job. He now had two crucial cases under his belt, with no other conclusion than to be successful in solving both of them. The head-office isn't afraid of firing agents, including directors, so failing both was not an option. Not to mention that messing up the latest one could lead to the end of the world. He gave a gruff sigh as the elevator sent him flying down through the headquarters, the 'whizz' sound providing a stressful reminder about Dr. Nefario and the unlikelihood of co-operation.

Was this really the job for him? There was so much stress and weight placed upon him each and every day. It was incredibly tiring and arduous to follow through with. But still, even if the days lead to countless sighs and constant weariness, the nights and mornings always provided an antidote. Love. Warmth. Family.

If one of his workdays had battered him silly, to the point where his mind was practically hanging onto sanity, a simple hug from his wife or kids could reverse it entirely. It made everything worth it in the end. Especially with the huge director wage providing him with enough money to improve his family's lives tenfold. Considering that aspect, and the neverending love that would immediately improve his mood, maybe...

...this really _was_ the job for him.

* * *

The evening sun shone across the neighborhood, providing a sense of relaxation and bliss. Jack and Violet were beaming as they strolled down the street, making their way back to their respective homes. After going to the movies, the two had spent the whole day walking across every path that came their way, never wanting to stop.

The only reason that they were returning was because Violet's legs were burning in fatigue, due to yesterday's hike and today's extreme walking. Jack, of course, was perfectly fine. He had been forced to traverse much longer distances for the IVB, making these past two days a cakewalk. The two made their way to the front path of Violet and Charlie's house, sharing a smile as they turned to face each other.

"Well, looks like this is my stop." She said, motioning her head to the front door. "I've had a lot of fun today, Jack."

"Me too." Jack replied, nodding happily. "You're actually not that annoying to talk to."

Violet chuckled. Again. She had done so a thousand times today, each time sending another spark of fright through Jack's heart, spine and stomach. He was really unsure as to why. Surely, by making her laugh, he should feel pride, not fear. Maybe that pride was the source of the fear. Isn't being proud of making someone laugh a sign of... _love_? He hoped not.

Either way, this day had still been fantastic. He wasn't sure how he hadn't messed up a conversation by saying something awkward or stupid, because the constant layer of fear plaguing him usually forced such embarrassment. He felt like his entire mind turned off when he spoke to her, as if it was his body's way of ensuring no awkwardness would spew from his mouth. He just sat back and let his voicebox flow, seeing whatever kind of funny things it could come up with.

"So, I'll meet you outside your house tomorrow at five?" She inquired, lowering her head slightly as she awaited confirmation. Jack grinned and nodded.

"Sounds good." He said. "What restaurant were you thinking of trying?"

"Well, there's a few." She replied, bobbing her head as if she was using it to weigh her options. "But...I noticed this really nice place called Zarelli's earlier. Ya know, the Italian place on the sea-front."

"Mm-hmm." Jack confirmed. He had seen that place before on a pamphlet in his house. He didn't know why Gru and Lucy hadn't just thrown it out, but didn't bother questioning it. He had also seen it when he was walking beside the sea with his family one day. He could never forget that day. It was the first time he'd gone to the beach, which didn't involve spraying the blood of a noncomplying agent across the sand. Rather, it involved building a huge sand castle with his three little sisters. Battling the smile permeating his expression was impossible.

"I was thinking we could try that." She said, shrugging.

"If that's what you want, then that's what you can have." Jack replied, returning the shrug. Inside, his mind buzzed a little, as if it was trying to alert him. Why did he just say that? Usually, Jack was such a demanding person, doing whatever it takes to get his own way. Unless of course, it was with Edith, in which he would usually give in to appease her. But on this occasion, even though there were many other better restaurants he'd rather try, he gave in without a fight.

"Great!" Violet exclaimed, breaking Jack's thought process. She gave him a little wave as she started down the front path. "See you tomorrow!"

Jack returned the wave and wanted to respond, but found himself engulfed by her appearance again. She looked insanely beautiful. Everything about her was perfect. The way she walked, the way her hair swayed, the way her smile lit up her face. It was a little intoxicating to watch.

As soon as she closed the door behind her, Jack shook his mind out of the trance and widened his eyes in slight shock. What the hell was that? For a moment, it felt like the entire world switched off, replacing it with just Violet. Why did that happen? It was all so confusing. There were a multitude of feelings engulfing him at that moment, a few of which he'd never felt before, taking away his ability to think properly. He found it slightly frightening.

He turned his head to start down the street, where he spied four teenagers on bicycles eyeing him up quizzically across the road. They were clearly confused by the dazed state he was in a moment ago, using their expressions to judge him. Jack shot them a threatening glare, making them turn away fearfully and ride away. At least he still had his intimidation factor.

Just as he took his first step away from the house, the sound of Violet's front door opening pulled his attention back. He immediately shot his gaze to the front of the house, preparing to lose himself in Violet's appearance again, not expecting to see Edith looking back at him with a look of surprise. She could hardly believe her eyes. Out of all the times she could've left, she had decided to do it when her brother was passing by.

"Edith?" He questioned, twisting his expression in befuddlement as he laid his eyes upon his little sister. He gave the house a small glance, ensuring that it was definitely Violet's house that she was emerging from, before continuing with a smirk. "Were you over Charlie's again?"

"No!" She replied almost instantly.

"Then...why are you leaving his house?" He asked.

"I'm...uh...asking for directions." She responded, shifting her gaze in thought. Jack remained silent for a few seconds, staring at her in complete confusion, trying to figure out if she seriously considered that a good excuse.

"In your own neighborhood!?" He questioned, failing to contain his laugh. Edith knew she was beaten here. Trying to proceed with another argument would only source more embarrassment.

"Look, that GameDrive X is awesome, okay!" She responded. "Anyway, why are _you_ here?"

"I was just walking back home after a day of hanging around. Not spending all day kissing, unlike you." Jack responded mockingly, grinning. He knew this was going to tick her off. Edith crossed her arms and frowned, preparing a million arguments to his statement in her head, feeling the urge to punch her brother in the arm. Before she could respond, Jack motioned his head down the street, signaling for her to follow. "Anyway, come on! We're late for dinner."

Edith scampered along the front yard and started down the street beside Jack, immediately turning her head to display her aggressive expression to him.

"I didn't kiss him!" She argued. "I hate boys!"

"Oh, well, thanks a lot." Jack replied sarcastically, poking his tongue out playfully. Edith rolled her eyes and turned away, concentrating on walking. "So, what game were you playing?"

"The new Unseen Hunter one." She responded, turning to him with a smirk, as if she felt genuinely proud of herself. "He had two controllers so we played multiplayer."

"Cool." Jack cooed. That prospect did sound pretty awesome. Not only was Unseen Hunter badass, but he'd also never played a video game with another person before. If he could've afforded it when he worked for the IVB, then he probably would've done it with Darren, but he had barely any money back then. He also definitely couldn't now, considering Darren was...

He still didn't like to think about it. His best friend, the one who helped him battle depression and act as a beacon in the unforgiving loneliness, was gone. Even though the sadness and loneliness no longer persisted, he still wished he was around. Edith would've loved him. In fact, the whole family probably would've loved him. But alas, it wasn't meant to be.

"He was terrible at it though," Edith spoke, shaking her head with a smile as she looked back over the whole day, breaking another one of Jack's engrossing thoughts. "I pretty much did all of the butt whooping for him."

"That's my sis." He said, giving her a very light playful punch in the arm, making her giggle. Edith had really missed spending time with her brother. Even though she was still a little mad at him, she couldn't deny that he was a very cool person to talk to.

"So, what've you been up to?" She asked.

"Just...stuff." He said, shrugging. "Mostly walking around."

"With who?" She asked. The conversation was taking a slightly uncomfortable turn, but Jack kept himself calm. It was pretty easy to lie, making sure his friendship with Violet remained hidden.

"Friends." He said. "Old ones I made in school."

"You went to school?" She asked, twisting her face in confusion. This was another new thing she didn't know about him. She loved finding out things about his life. He was like a huge mystery that needed solving.

"Of course I went to school!" Jack responded with a chuckle, rolling his eyes jokingly. "I wasn't just born working for the IVB, Edith."

"Yeah, obviously." She replied, looking at the ground momentarily. Looking back, that question did sound a bit stupid. "But...I guess I just never thought of you as a _school_ type of person."

"I'm not." Jack replied, shaking his head. "I left when I was ten."

"Woahhhh." Edith gawked. She was incredibly envious. She absolutely detested school, thinking of it as the biggest waste of time ever. Anything that requires you to wake up at half-past seven every morning was a bad, bad thing, especially in Edith's eyes. Considering that she was turning ten soon, maybe she didn't have to stand stupid school for much longer. Jack noticed the small grin brewing on Edith's face, pointing his finger at her and giving her an authoritative look before it broke out.

"Don't you even think about it." He said. Edith crossed her arms and sulked, frowning in frustration.

"Awwww, but _you_ got to."

"Yeah, but _I_ didn't have any choice." Jack continued. "Believe it or not, even though we're related, you're not me."

Edith sulked harder as those words hit the air. Even though she knew she was still a cool person, there were a few she wished she could change. Like, she wished she had bigger biceps, so she could easily scare away anyone that annoyed her. And, she wished she had a stronger punch, so that she could deal with anyone trying to pick on her.

Those were all things Jack had, so why couldn't she have it?

As the two walked up to the front lawn of the Gru household, Edith moved away from the current subject, figuring that arguing wasn't going to lead anywhere.

"Are you going out again tomorrow?" She asked, her tone predominantly sorrow.

"Not straight away." Jack replied, shrugging. Edith's dejection immediately perked up a little by this news. "I'm going to a party at five, so I'm around until then."

"Wait...five?" Edith questioned, halting dead in her tracks as they moved to the first front-door step. "But...it's Saturday tomorrow."

"Yeah, so?" Jack inquired, narrowing his eyes at her. Edith was already a little hurt by this response, finding herself slightly speechless for a moment. As she opened her mouth to respond, Jack's phone buzzed in his trouser pocket, electing him to fish it out and check the caller ID. It was Violet. Obviously, he couldn't answer it in front of Edith, to protect her anonymity. He ran up the steps and into the house, ensuring he was far away enough before answering it.

Edith simply stood on the front door with a deeply solemn expression, looking down at her feet as she lost herself in thought. He was leaving her again, but on this occasion, it hurt her the most. It seemed like, for the first time in two months...

...Edith would be watching Unseen Hunter all alone.

* * *

Gru sat in the living room, rubbing his tired eyes as his drained mind threatened to send him off to sleep. He tried his hardest to watch the programme being shown on the television, but in his current state, it just sounded like incomprehensible garbage. Once Lucy had finished prepping the girls for bed, he was going to go upstairs, say his goodnights and go off to bed himself.

As his eyes fluttered weakly under the living room's fierce light, the programme he was listlessly watching suddenly cut off, being replaced by breaking news. Gru sat up, immediately intrigued, gaining temporary energy from the unexpected switch. A news reporter, who looked in a hurry, shuffled in his seat and quickly sorted his papers, looking directly into the camera after a few moments of silence.

"We apologize for interrupting your evening viewing, but a piece of breaking news has just come in that has shocked reporters and journalists across the globe. The UK prime minister was assassinated today during a speech in which he was announcing his new tax-plan to politicians and many other important officials. After certain pieces of evidence were located on the scene, the finger is being pointed at the US government for perpetrating the murder. The US president has since denied involvement, only seeming to fall upon deaf ears. Due to this, the UK have threatened to-"

Gru switched the TV off at that point. Partially because his mind was already stressed enough, partially because Lucy peeked her head through the doorway, the former villain knowing immediately what she wanted.

"The girls are ready." She said, perking her husband up with a bright smile. "Gonna say goodnight with me?"

"Of course." Gru mumbled, slowly getting up from the couch and trudging his way out into the hallway, where his wife awaited him. "I've been waiteeng for dis all day."

"Aww." Lucy cooed, grinning warmly. "Rough day?"

"And den some." Gru replied, massaging his tempered forehead. "Being director ees no walk een de park."

"Well, whenever you're feeling stressed," Lucy began, clinging to her husband's arm as they started up the stairs. "Just remember that I'm always here for a kiss and a cuddle."

"Thanks, Lucy." Gru replied, as his wife pecked him on the cheek. They shared a warm smile, looking into each other's eyes, being abruptly cut off as the AVL director almost tripped over the last step, steadying himself at the last moment. Lucy giggled, her husband blushing slightly in embarrassment.

"Such a romantic." She mocked, electing her husband to roll his eyes playfully as they approached the girl's bedroom. Inside, all three girls had already got themselves in bed, clearly tired out by their eventful days.

Margo had spent practically the entire day with her boyfriend and best friend, loving every moment of it, even if she may have been a little awkward here and there. She'd got up to a multitude of activities that sapped at her energy, meaning her eyes were now sluggishly fluttering as she battled falling asleep.

Edith had been over Charlie's the entire day, playing the Unseen Hunter video game. If that was that, she'd probably still have plenty of energy, but since she'd spent most of the time jumping around in excitement while kicking the butt of multiple villains and bad guys, her fatigue levels had ascended past the limit.

Agnes had a usual Agnes day, primarily consisting of imaginative unicorn games, sprinting around in pursuit of Kyle and organizing pretend tea parties. As was the norm, her constant hyperactiveness had left her extremely weary at the end of the day, meaning even walking coherently was a struggle that was hard to deal with.

Gru and Lucy warmly grinned as they entered through the doorway, watching as their children clung on to the edge of consciousness. Even if the girls wanted it, there was no way a bedtime story was happening tonight, mostly because they would never survive past the first word. In fact, Gru himself probably wouldn't survive past the first word either.

"Goodnight my favorite leetle keetons." Gru announced as he emerged into the room. The girls all weakly smiled back at him, clearly as excited for the goodnight kisses as Gru was. The two moved from bed to bed, giving each girl an individual kiss, cuddle and 'I love you', Gru and Lucy feeling that usual feeling of gratitude as they went along doing so.

As they got to Agnes's bed, Gru was a little caught off guard as she leaped up and wrapped her arms around his neck, practically hanging off of him.

"I love you, mom and dad..." She mumbled, jumping from Gru to Lucy after spending a full ten seconds burying her tiny head into his shoulder. After slumping back onto her pillow, Gru kneeled down and pecked her on the cheek, his heart melting as she beamed back up at him.

"I love yoo too, sweetie."

The two left the room and made their way over to their own bedroom with no words. There didn't need to be any. This is exactly what Gru had been waiting for, and it was exactly the way he liked it. Him and his wife, kissing and cuddling their three daughters as they laid half-asleep, internally thanking whatever divine being handed them this amazing life.

The two slinked into bed, Gru feeling his head float away as he placed it on his comfortable pillow. Falling asleep was definitely not going to be a challenge. All of the previous stress he had been feeling seemed to immediately dissipate, replacing itself with a feeling of pure warmth. As he'd predicted, a simple hug was all it took to refresh himself, resetting the frustration to allow for another day of draining work.

As his mind slowly clicked off into a deep sleep, Gru's last thought consisted of his antidote. His family. What would he do without them? Who would he be without their presence? How did he live in loneliness for some many years beforehand? He had no clue, but he did know one thing, he would never ask for that life back again.

He may have got to enjoy a practically stress-free life of villainy, but without love and family, none of that would provide happiness. It's something he wished all current villains knew. However, unknown to the AVL director, one villain did know this.

One villain knew it all too well.

* * *

 _So, I really put in a shift to get this one out quickly, so a review would be extremely appreciated. Another thanks to the reviewers, you make this a million times more enjoyable._

 _Will be back ASAP._


	8. Not One To Trust

**Chapter Eight -  
** _ **Not One To Trust**_

Jack uncomfortably jerked awake, fearful drops of sweat protruding from his forehead. His breaths were emitting at an extremely quick rate, and his cheeks turned a dark shade of red. As the realization of another nightmare hit him, a wave of pure anger flooded his mind, producing a vicious frown on his face. He spun around and slammed his fist into the headboard, creating multiple sounds of splitting wood as the force stung through it.

It had been an extremely stressful night. He had been abruptly woken up on four different occasions, due to the fright the vivid nightmares were causing. Most of the time, it was that same one, taking place in his bedroom on that fateful night. But occasionally, it would differ, still following dark moments from his past.

Through all of the fear and unscheduled wake-ups, Jack had only managed to get himself four hours of sleep, nowhere near enough for coherent functioning. He slowly crept his way out of bed, the fatigue forcing him into a tired trudge as he slowly moved over to his wardrobe.

Why was this happening? It felt like his own brain was beating him up, replaying disgusting times and forcing him into experiencing that same pain and sadness that he thought he'd got past. At least now that he was awake, he could delve back into the brilliant life the present was playing out, far away from the yester-world his brain was continuously repeating.

He made his way out into the hallway and towards the bathroom, where he got himself ready for the day. After going to the toilet, brushing his teeth, having a quick shower and getting changed into some casual clothing, he made his way downstairs, the kitchen being his next destination. He desperately needed food and coffee, to deal with the irritable sluggishness in his mind.

As he walked through the kitchen doorway, the overwhelming urge to scowl in dismay overtook him. Sat at the table, was Gru, Margo, Agnes and...Marlena, Gru's mom. After seeing her on three different occasions beforehand, it was clear that she preferred girls over boys, made obvious by the dislike for Jack and even her own son. When they first met, Marlena berated Jack senseless, while giving the girls all kinds of love and attention. He had done nothing to tick her off, she just decided that she didn't like him the moment she laid her eyes on him.

A little like his parents did...

"Ugh...you could've told me _she_ was here." Jack sneered, sending Marlena a deep frown, one of which she returned. Even though they hated each other, Jack and Marlena did have something in common. They both weren't afraid of showing their hatred towards someone, whether it be in the form of insults or cold expressions.

Jack noticed that Gru would immediately give in with his mother, always ignoring her snide comments and rude remarks, most likely bottling it up to release on the AVL agents. He didn't judge him for that, considering she was still his mother. Even though they didn't particularly get along, they still loved each other. Jack, on the other hand, would return those comments, something he could tell Marlena both hated and admired.

His expression remained entirely gruff as his gaze was fixed upon Marlena, but as he caught a glance of Agnes's beaming expression in the corner of his eye, a smile flickered across his features, raising his mood immediately. He playfully poked out his tongue at the two girls, making the youngest giggle and the eldest smirk, before strutting over to the coffee pot.

"Haveeng a lie-een were we?" Marlena spoke dryly, only offering him a slight glance. Jack gave her a bewildered expression as he poured himself a mug of coffee, as if she suddenly transformed into some sort of ghost. He peered down at his digital watch, where he clarified the time, and then responded.

"It's quarter-past-eight." He replied with ire. "I'd hardly call that a _lie-in_."

"I would!" She responded quickly. "I was up at half-past-five dis morneeng, practiceeng my jiu-jitsu."

"Yes, well, not all of us are completely insane." Jack replied, smirking evilly with his comeback. Instead of responding, Marlena shot him an extremely aggressive glance, returning her gaze to her son after a moment. Gru was absentmindedly smiling, taking his mother receiving a taste of her own medicine as his own small victory.

"When are yoo goeeng to keeck heem out?" She asked abruptly, as if Jack wasn't in the room. Gru jumped a little, immediately shifting from his smile to a look of fake indifference as he faced his mother. "Or are yoo goeeng to let heem skive off yoo forever?"

"Uh...he ees Edith's brother, mom." Gru replied softly.

"Dat's de second option den." Marlena spoke, shaking her head in disappointment. "Does he even have a job?"

"Jeez, I am here y'know." Jack spoke with a roll of the eyes, moving over to stand at the table as he sipped his coffee. "And I have been searching for a job! It's just a lot harder than it was back in your ancient days, when we first discovered fire."

Even though he knew it would make things a lot more difficult, Gru couldn't stifle his laugh, guffawing loudly. Marlena shot him a deeply threatening glare, instructing the director to shut up, turning and burrowing it into Jack after a moment.

"I highly doubt yoo have been searcheeng." She spoke, motioning her hand to his trousers after speaking. "Boys your age only have one theeng on deir minds."

Jack and Gru gave her a surprised wide-eyed glare, the both of them switching it to the girls afterward. They seemed nonchalant, looking back at the two in slight confusion. Thankfully, they didn't pick up on what Marlena was implying, preserving their innocence. After a few seconds of slightly shocked silence, Jack turned to her and fed her a sharp tone.

"I'll be honest Marlena, I'm in no mood for you this morning." He spoke dangerously, turning to Gru straight after. "Before I get outta here, I wanted to ask you something. What are you getting Edith for her birthday?"

"Birthday?" Gru questioned, his mouth falling slightly agape by this unexpected news. Jack narrowed his eyes at him, twisting his expression a little.

"Yeah..." He spoke suspiciously. "Y'know, she's turning ten in four days."

"Oh...right, of course!" Gru said, obviously only pretending to understand. Jack crossed his arms and frowned, using his expression to judge him.

"You forgot, didn't you?"

"Pfft...of course not!" Gru blurted, chuckling awkwardly. "How could I forget my own daughter's birthday?"

"How do _you_ remember, Jack?" Margo questioned, cocking her head inquisitively. "She must've only been two when you were around for her last birthday."

"Um...yeah..." Jack replied sadly, lowering his head. He still hated that fact. Even though he was elated to have her back, he still felt incredibly guilty for missing out on so many years of her life. All those times when she must've felt upset or scared, Jack wasn't there to comfort her. That very thought stung like needles. But, at the end of the day, he _was_ there for her now, so he should be happy. "But I could never forget the day when Edith was born. It was probably the best day of my childhood."

Immediately after those words left his mouth, he realized that there was no _probably_ about it. The rest of his days as a child consisted of neglect, sadness and...extreme anguish and fright, meaning that the day when a beacon of hope arrived didn't have much contest.

Gru and Margo broke out into a warm grin, cocking their heads a little touchingly. Jack was possibly one of the most multi-dimensional people on earth. He had the ability to switch from a sarcastic brute, who loved nothing more than one-upping people, to a loving brother, who would protect his family at all costs, within moments.

Realizing that the warm grins were softening his image in front of Marlena, he cleared his throat and continued, acting like that never happened.

"Anyway, could you tell me what you're gonna get her?" He requested. "I need to make sure not to get the same thing."

"Oh, well..." Gru mumbled, moving his gaze to the table in thought. There wasn't any point in denying himself. He had forgotten. This would be Edith's first birthday since being adopted, so Gru could be forgiven for not remembering, considering it had never happened in his house before. However, since he still knew his middle-daughter pretty well, he knew exactly what kind of present to get her. "I don't theenk yoo weel need to worry about dat. Yoo're not gonna buy her de same theeng as me."

"Oh...if...you say so." Jack replied in confusion. He shot Marlena one last glance as he made his way out of the kitchen, speaking as he walked. "I'm gonna go finish this in the living room."

" _Ooo!_ Can we play unicorns again?" Agnes blurted happily, standing up on her seat in anticipation. Jack smiled warmly, adoring the sight of her excitement, responding as he approached the doorway.

"How about we start with a tea party?" He asked, lifting his mug of coffee a little straight after. "I actually have something _real_ to drink this time."

Agnes smiled brightly as she leaped from her seat at the table, almost knocking over Gru's cup of tea as she crawled over the table swiftly. She bounded over to Jack and tugged on his leg, indicating to him what she wanted. Jack smiled, kneeled down and allowed Agnes to climb up on to his shoulders, leaving the room in gleeful laughter just after.

Gru couldn't hold back his smile after watching the cute scene. When you thought about Jack, you would usually compare him to Edith, mainly because they were blood-related and had practically the same personality. But, you wouldn't be wrong in comparing Jack to Gru. Only two months ago, Jack was throwing Gru around the lab, threatening to make Edith an orphan again by killing his entire family. Now, he was buying presents for his little sister's birthday and playing tea parties to appease Agnes, never complaining or contemplating murder. He had changed so much, and thankfully, it was for the better.

"Aren't yoo goeeng to go weeth dem, honey-bug?" Marlena questioned, electing Margo's attention.

"Nah, there's no point." Margo responded, shrugging. "I'm going out in a few minutes."

"Yoo've been spendeeng a lot of time outside recently." Gru stated unexpectedly. Margo gave him an apprehensive glance, desperately trying to conceive an escape route. "What have yoo been doeeng?"

"Oh...uh..." She replied, moving her gaze around at pace. She had fallen into a trap. Obviously, there was no way he could find out about Chester, but considering the way in which she was reacting, a lie would probably be ineffective. Thankfully, Lucy wandered into the room, fully clothed and charged for another day, interrupting the conversation.

"Oh, hello Marlena." She greeted, smiling at the elderly woman. "What are you doing here?"

"Just come over to visit my favorite grandchildren." She replied. She sent Lucy a wide smile, replacing it with a frown soon after, realizing that Jack could be unintentionally grouped in that statement. "And de _other_ one."

"Yes, well, eet was lovely seeing yoo, mom." Gru spoke quickly, a slight hint of sarcasm ladled in his voice. By the way he stood up and motioned towards the doorway, it was obvious he was desperate to get her out of the house. Marlena detected the urgency in his voice, remaining glued to her seat in order to irritate him further. "Maybe next time, yoo could call eenstead of arriveeng unannounced at seven een de morneeng."

"What kind of director and father stays een bed unteel eight?" She retorted, a scowl flooding her expression. Gru shot his wife a 'can you believe her' look, who returned a humorous smirk, nodding and keeping himself calm a second later.

"Well...talkeeng about _director_ ," He began. "Me and Lucy have work to be doeeng, so..."

"Yes, I should get out of your hair." Marlena said, sighing and getting up from her seat. "Vincenzo and Paulo are comeeng over for another diveeng lesson anyway, and I do not want to keep dose handsome lads waiteeng."

"Hmm...great." Gru replied, swiftly ushering his mother out into the hallway. Just before he disappeared from the kitchen, he turned around and addressed his wife, who was filling her thermos with coffee. "I'm goeeng to pop down de lab for a sec before we leave. I shouldn't be too long."

"No worries." Lucy responded with a shrug, watching as her husband quickly dashed out of the room. Immediately after he left, she wandered over to the table and sat beside Margo, giving her eldest daughter a cheerful smile. "Any plans for today?"

"Oh...uh...yeah, just...going out." Margo responded, turning away with a slightly awkward smile. Lucy analyzed her daughter's strange reaction, practically confirming her suspicions.

"Hmm...sounds fun." Lucy said, smirking as she screwed the top firmly onto the thermos. "So...what's his name?"

"What!?" Margo snapped, her mouth falling agape. "How did you-"

"A mother always knows, Margo." Lucy said, her smirk growing stronger. Just the fact that she got to say that was awesome enough. "I've seen the way you've been staring off into space. That warm smile on your face is telling enough. I used to do the same thing at your age, losing concentration thinking about boys."

Margo expression transcended to pure fright, glaring at her mother in both surprise and panic. Lucy noticed the stress on her daughter's face, quickly figuring out the reasoning.

"Don't worry, I won't tell your dad." Lucy reassured, giving her a wink, easing Margo's frayed nerves. "I know he'll only annoy you if he finds out."

"Thanks, mom." Margo spoke with a sigh of relief, catching her off guard with a hug. Lucy smiled and wrapped her arms around her back in return, an immediate sense of accomplishment flowing over her. After a few seconds, Lucy pulled her off, motioning her head at the doorway.

"Anyway, don't keep him waiting." She said, pecking her on the forehead. "Have a nice day, sweetie."

Margo smiled and happily pranced out of the room, Lucy watching with an impenetrable warm grin. The pride was producing one of the biggest smiles ever, as she logged another great moment within her memory bank. Another instance of being an awesome mom.

She was practically an expert at this point.

* * *

Nefario sat at his desk yet again, nodding his head to a few minions that walked past, who were frantically waving at him as an energetic greeting. He hadn't anything else to do besides waiting for Dru to come back, so his expression was listless in boredom. His attention was soon caught by that familiar 'whizz' sound, instructing him to lift his head and spy the elevator. Gru emerged, his hands behind his back as he walked in with a professional swagger, a gruff frown controlling his face. It was clear his stormy expression was there to act as an intimidation factor, however, Nefario was not one to get nervous.

"Ah, Gru." He greeted. "What brings you down here? Shouldn't you be picking daisies with your AVL lot?"

" _Ha ha ha._ " Gru replied sardonically, rolling his eyes with ire as he moved to stand beside the desk. "Yoo know exactly why I'm here, Nefario. Have yoo got my eenformation?"

"Oh...um...about that-"

"Ugh...Nefario!" Gru snapped angrily, cutting him off. He didn't even want to hear the ridiculous excuse the elderly man could contrive. "What deed I say yesterday!? Eef yoo deedn't get me my eenformation, I wasn't going to be a very happy man..."

"Hang on! Hang on! You didn't let me finish!" Nefario responded hurriedly, panicking for the safety of his lab. Obviously, Nefario hadn't done the research, but by telling Gru the truth, the consequences he had threatened would become a reality. "I _have_ been doing the research, but this guy is a tough nut to crack. I have collected a few bits and pieces here and there, but until I've finished it completely, the information isn't reliable. If you come down here tomorrow, I guarantee you'll get everything you need, all perfectly accurate."

"Hmph...why do I find dat hard to believe?" Gru sneered, turning away with a dark frown. "Anyway, what do yoo mean by 'dis guy ees a tough nut to crack'? Yoo've never had trouble getteeng eenformation on people before."

"Yes, well, I've also never researched on a guy who's been missing for several years before." Nefario retorted sassily. "Believe it or not, Gru, that makes things a little trickier."

"Ugh...whatever...just leesten to me." Gru replied. "I'm being serious dis time! Eef yoo do not have de eenformation tomorrow, I weel ensure de lab fundeeng ees stricken from my expenses!"

"Mm-hmm," Nefario muttered, turning around and pretending to tinker with a nearby weapon. "I get it..."

Gru scoffed and strutted towards the elevator. He was really hoping to get that information today. It would've made his work day a lot easier if he knew exactly where this Daniel Flint guy was at the moment. But, it looked as if it was going to be another day of pointless missions, arduous paperwork and incompetent agents, all of which would grind his already brittle gears.

After Gru ascended out of the lab, Nefario got up from his seat and walked over to another table, where multiple minions were hammering, drilling and tinkering. He peered over their tiny shoulders, gathering a view of the table. A multitude of nuts, bolts, tools, and wires covered every inch, but, more importantly, a large item was placed amongst them all.

It was the mind-control ray.

"Is it complete?" Nefario questioned, startling Mel slightly, making him drop a few bolts onto the floor. He turned and shook his head out of the daze, nodding his head happily with a toothy smile.

"Yep, handa na!" He replied. Nefario smirked, nodding to himself slowly. Oh, how he'd missed this feeling. This mischievous feeling. It was becoming a rare event as of late, so to experience the exhilarating feeling yet again was fantastic.

"Let me have a look." Nefario requested.

"K!" Mel responded loudly, moving over and picking up the mind control ray off the table. He handed it to Dr. Nefario, who spun it around in his grasp. It was a fairly large weapon to hold, but when it came to portability, it was of good size. It had a shiny metal coating, with multiple rings leading up to the barrel. The trigger on the base was like that of any standard handgun, slightly hindering the uniqueness of the weapon. But, considering the tight timeframe, that would have to do.

"How do we know it works?" Nefario inquired. Mel motioned his head towards a nearby minion, who was continuously walking into a wall, painfully bumping his head each time. A few minions were gathered around him, laughing loudly as he uncontrollably continued to hurt himself. Obviously, the mind-control ray had warped his mind into doing so, meaning that it works perfectly. Nefario nodded impressively, turning back to the several minions in front of him.

"Excellent work, boys." He announced. "I think Dru is going to be very pleased with this."

The minions gave a large cheer, high-fiving each other joyfully in the process. Even though they had no clue as to why the mind-control ray needed to be built, they felt like doing so in an adequate fashion was a huge accomplishment, sure to bring its fair share of rewards. Nefario moved from the table back to his desk, where he continued to analyze the weapon.

Just like the minions, he also hadn't a clue to its purpose. In fact, for that matter, he had no clue as to who Dru was working with. All he knew, was that some villain had chosen him for a huge scheme that was being kept hidden away from him and many others. It was a question worth asking, as Nefario was always the curious type of villain. Always interested in the ins and outs of plans, wanting to know every single detail about them.

Not too long later, the 'whizz' sound happened again, signaling the arrival of another person. Nefario turned and watched the elevator, as the blonde villain came dashing through it, his expression displaying just how much of a hurry he was in. He sprinted over to the desk, ignoring the greetings and waves the minions were offering him, breathing heavily under the desperate pace.

"There you are!" Nefario snapped. "You didn't come back last night. Where've you b-"

"I haven't got time to chat, Nerfroid!" Dru spoke quickly, giddily bouncing on the spot. "I gotta leave quickly! I just came back to pick up de mind-control ray. Yoo've feenished eet, right?"

"What do you think _this_ is?" Nefario replied, lifting the shiny weapon into Dru's gaze. Dru's eyes widened in glee, clearly impressed by the handiwork of the weapon. "Is this adequate enough?"

"Eet's BRILLIANT!" Dru squealed, causing Nefario to wince. The villain snatched it from the doctor's grasp, gawking at its appearance. "Venin ees goeeng to be SO happy weeth dis!"

"Wait..." Nefario spoke, narrowing his eyes behind his goggles. His expression dropped immediately, an obvious blanket of fear overlaying his previous happiness. "Did you just say... _Venin_?"

"Yep!" Dru proclaimed. His smile was wider than ever before, a mix of excitement and relief being the reason behind it. "He's my villain partner. Have I not mentioned dat before?"

"No..." Nefario muttered, lowering his head slightly.

"Well, I meant to!" Dru replied. He gave the weapon in his grasp one last elated smile, before turning back towards the elevator. "Anyway, he wants me back at his hideout as soon as possible so I'll see yoo later!"

"Uh...wait!" Nefario blurted. However, he was too late, and Dru leaped back into the elevator and quickly flew back up into the house before the doctor could stop him. He muttered a few curse words under his breath as he frantically switched his gaze across the room in thought.

As he did so, his attention was caught by the drawer on the underside of his desk. His mind spun off in a million directions. Gru had stated that some guy named Daniel Flint had perpetrated the kidnapping and killing of his assistant, all because he had been gathering information on Venin. But, there had to be more to it than just that. Why would some random guy called Daniel Flint, who had supposedly been missing for several years, kill Gru's assistant for simply researching on Venin? It didn't make any sense.

Unless...

Nefario immediately bolted over to the drawer with all of his pace, which wasn't exactly swift at his age, and unlocked it with the key. He took the container which held Daniel Flint's DNA from inside and dashed to the supercomputer room.

By doing this research, Nefario could potentially cripple villainy further by reducing another evil plan to dust. He didn't exactly want to do that, but considering the possible consequences, he had no choice. He placed the DNA within the computer's scanner and allowed it to collect the details. It didn't feel right to be going against another villain, but by looking at past events...

...Venin was not one to trust.

* * *

Edith sluggishly trudged down the upstairs hallway, a vicious frown implanted firmly onto her face. She had awoken in a sour mood, most likely because of the events of last evening. Jack told her that he was going off to some stupid party, meaning he was going to ditch her on Unseen Hunter night. She found it quite hurtful, a little like some sort of betrayal. Recently, she hadn't been spending that much time with him, so she had really been looking forward to doing so in front of the TV tonight.

Now, she didn't even want to speak to him, let alone watch Unseen Hunter with him.

As she made her way into the downstairs hallway, the doorbell immediately caught her attention, forcing her to change direction towards the front door. She opened it and found Charlie standing in front of her, smiling contently as he held a soccer ball in his grasp. Beforehand, she would've scoffed at the sight of him, but now, she was actually kind of happy to see him.

"Hey, Edith." He greeted. The stuttering had completely stopped now, showing the newfound confidence that had overtaken the fear.

"Hey, Charlie." Edith replied happily. Before he could respond, she continued with the all-important question that she was instantly dying to ask. "Is your sister out again?"

"Nah...she's in today," Charlie said, turning away slightly as Edith's smile slowly flickered away. "But...I thought maybe...I don't know, we could go down to the soccer field or something."

Subconsciously, Charlie awaited the rejection. He was beginning to realize that the only reason Edith was even giving him the time of day was because of his sister's GameDrive X, and he should've known better than to think she would actually accept his request. He kept his gaze turned away, not wanting to see the judgemental frown that would immediately appear on the tomboy's expression.

"Yeah...okay." She responded, shrugging a little. Charlie's eyes widened in slight shock, quickly spinning around to look at her. She was smiling back at him, not seeming too disappointed that the GameDrive X was out of the picture. Charlie had to fight the urge to pinch himself, to check whether or not he was dreaming. "Let me just go tell my brother, and then I'll be right out."

"Uh...okay." Charlie muttered, his eyes still as wide as the sun. The moment that Edith closed the door, Charlie jumped up and down on the spot in celebration. Not only did he get to hang around with Edith again, but she was also not just hanging around with him for his GameDrive X. She actually wanted to play soccer with him. He felt like the smile on his face was impenetrable.

Edith opened the living room door, where Jack and Agnes were situated on the floor, happily laughing as they played tea party. The two of them lifted their heads as Edith entered, offering her a bright smile. She returned nothing but a look of casual indifference.

"Hey, Edith." Jack spoke gleefully. He was still entirely clueless to her anger.

"Hmm... _hey_." Edith replied lowly, narrowing her eyes slightly. "I'm...gonna go out for a bit."

"Oh..." Jack said, putting his eyes on the floor. "Um...okay. To do what?"

"None of your business." Edith muttered coldly, closing the living room door and leaving for the front door instantly after speaking. Jack twisted his expression in confusion, a little perplexed by her reaction. He turned to Agnes, who was happily humming to herself, and questioned her.

"Did she seem angry to you?" He asked.

"Uh...I dunno." Agnes replied, as she pretended to fill her unicorn's cup up with tea. "I wasn't listening."

Jack returned his gaze to the living room door after she replied. He didn't know why he even bothered asking, as it didn't take a genius to realize that she was angry. Why would she be angry with him? She didn't seem angry yesterday, so it couldn't be the Super Silly Fun Land thing anymore. Just as his thoughts got deeper, Agnes's bored sigh caught his attention.

They'd been playing tea party for around half-an-hour at this point, and even though it was a fun game to play, it was starting to get a little repetitive. He looked at the fluffy unicorn toy and smiled mischievously. He leaned over and grabbed it, startling the little girl slightly, getting up and running for the hallway straight after.

"Haha!" He cackled evilly. "It's mine now!"

Agnes's face lit up again as she pretended to make a deeply shocked gasp. An expression of determination flooded her face as she got up from her spot and chased after him, the two of them laughing uncontrollably as they ran.

Edith was just about to close the front door behind her when the two ran out, watching as Agnes tripped over the floorboard and landed hard on the floor. Edith creaked the door open a little more to check on her little sister, who was holding onto her knee and sniffling quietly. Jack came running back over and kneeled down in front of her, immediately concerned.

He rolled up her trouser leg and checked her knee, which was devoid of any injuries and looked perfectly fine. There was no bleeding or any bruises, and it was clearly just a little bump. But, proved evident by the small tears that were bundling up, it must've been hurting her somewhat. After noticing her damp eyes, Jack put a hand on her shoulder and spoke incredibly softly, possibly the softest Edith had ever heard him talk.

"Hey, hey, it's only a little knock." He said. "You're gonna be fine."

Agnes smiled slightly, continuing to sniffle as she jumped up and hugged into Jack's chest. The teenager was a little startled by the affection, but in less than a moment later, smiled and hugged her back. As she watched the scene, Edith dropped her head low and pulled a solemn expression. She slowly closed the door behind her and moved to stand next to Charlie, who was still beaming brightly in excitement.

"Ready?" He asked. Edith looked up at him sadly with a sigh, quickly erasing the sorrow and replacing it with a faint smile.

"Yeah." She said. "Let's go."

* * *

Dru thundered into the hall inside Venin's hideout, the mind-control ray firmly in his grasp, trying his hardest to ignore the deep glares from his bodyguards. Venin and Fiona were sat at the roundtable, the two of them possessing frustrated frowns. There was a large angry silence between them, proving that they must've had some sort of argument before Dru had arrived.

"Hey, guys!" Dru greeted loudly, startling the two a little. He lifted the mind-control ray into the air, a large smile dominating his face as he did so. "Look what I've got!"

Venin peeked his head upwards to look at the gun, where he smiled evilly and nodded. It was of a small size, small enough to be carried, which is exactly what he desired. He got up from his seat and took the gun from the blonde's hand, peering down at it as he held it in his grasp.

"Impressive." He stated. "This is exactly what I wanted! That Dr. Nefario is a true genius!"

"Yoo don't have to tell me." Dru replied, unable to hold back his smirk. Venin placed the weapon down on the table, clicking his fingers towards his bodyguards in the process.

"Now, I must tell you, Dru," He began, as the bodyguards shuffled out of the room. "I haven't been entirely truthful with you."

"What?" Dru replied. His expression immediately dropped from his previous glee to a slightly fearful gaze. Venin continued to smirk mischievously, not easing Dru's trepidation in the slightest. "Um...how so?"

"Well, remember how I told you that no mind-control ray had ever been developed before?" Venin asked, sitting back down in his seat.

"Uh...yeah." Dru replied. He thought about sitting down, but as his intrigue spiked, he couldn't move an inch.

"That was a little bit of a lie." He continued, as the bodyguards pulled a huge grey ray gun into the room. It was so large and heavy, that multiple henchmen were required to pull it in. "This mind-control ray was developed by some villain with a Ph.D. exclusively for the IVB. I believe they used it to brainwash children and kidnapped villains into becoming agents. Am I correct with that theory, Fiona?"

Dru and Venin turned to the middle-aged woman for clarification, who eyes were blinking rapidly in order to keep herself awake. After realizing the attention was on her, she sat up in her seat and shook her head a little.

"Oh...uh, yeah." She replied quietly. "I remember people used to come and ask me how to use it, even though I had no clue how the hell the thing worked."

"Hmm...yes. Great story." Venin said, clearly uninterested. The former receptionist sent him a vicious frown, one of which he ignored. "I had actually been trying to steal the contraption for years, but alas, I struggled. The IVB have a lot of strong defenses, making it a very difficult task to undergo. But after learning that the IVB was planning a full-scale attack on the AVL, I knew that would be a perfect chance to break in and take it as my own. So, just after you and your little band of yellow things blew up the entrance to the headquarters, I strolled in and took it. That was part of the reason why I chose you, Dru. I saw the bravery that you demonstrated when going into that attack, and I knew you'd be the perfect candidate for this scheme."

"Oh." Dru mumbled, lowering his line of the sight to the ground. Venin was there when they infiltrated the headquarters? He couldn't remember seeing him. The place where the IVB's headquarters used to be located was incredibly derelict, so how did he keep himself hidden? "Um...I have a lot of questions."

"I predicted as much." Venin spoke, nodding. "I'll start with the two obvious ones, of which I know you must be pondering. First, I wanted the mind-control ray so that I could get my bodyguards. Me and my wife kidnapped them years ago, but after she passed away, I had no real desire to take control of them without her in the picture. So, I kept them tied down in the basement, just in case I changed my mind. Eventually, I found that having bodyguards might be incredibly useful in keeping me safe, so I took the mind-control ray and brainwashed them into doing my bidding. That is why they are so obedient."

"I...see." Dru replied slowly, glancing at the bodyguards. They seemed entirely nonchalant during the conversation, proving that their minds really must be warped.

"Unfortunately, there are two irritating issues that accompany it." Venin continued. "One, the effects usually only last around five years, meaning they will eventually need a brush-up. And two, the effects may be entirely undone if they receive a big enough knock on the head, which can be quite annoying. But, even with the issues, the amount of control it allows over the victim is incredible, making those disadvantages obsolete in my eyes."

"Um...okay." Dru spoke. His expression had soothed slightly, but the fact that this guy had kidnapped four men and took control of their minds was still frightening him.

"And, for the other question," Venin began, lifting Dr. Nefario's mind-control ray. "I need this one just in case we have to deal with a possible hindrance. We might not require it, but either way, it both irons out possible problems and makes the next task a lot easier."

"Talking about 'the next task'." Fiona announced suddenly, grabbing her two partners attentions. "What are we doing?"

"Ah right, of course." Venin said, moving over to stand in front of the table. Dru finally decided to take a seat, hoping it would calm his nerves a little. "So, the war threat plan worked, and now, the UK is threatening to retaliate after the assassination. Because of this, the president is ordering for the entire US army to be briefed tomorrow morning, just in case a war does break out. What our task involves, is going there, breaking into the briefing hall and using the mind-control ray on everyone, in order to have the entire army under our demands."

"Everyone?" Fiona questioned. "How the hell are we gonna do that?"

"The IVB's mind-control ray comes with two options." Venin stated. "It can be solely targeted at one person, or it can be spread out to target hundreds. Dru, your job is to get onto the stage and pretend to be the briefer, where you'll read out a little script that I'll give you. Meanwhile, me, Fiona and a few of the bodyguards will move the mind-control ray on-stage and use the second option to warp everyone's minds. Then, the US army is ours."

"Okay..." Dru spoke, twisting his expression inquisitively. "So, why do we need de entire US army?"

"Good question." Venin replied. "Once we have full control of the army, we can charge the white-house and take over as president, ensuring that hundreds of soldiers won't soon attack and kill us. Then, the scheme is complete. In all honesty, we're really ahead of schedule."

Dru smiled a huge toothy grin, bouncing happily in his seat a little. Fiona, on the other hand, sat back in her seat and crossed her arms, darkening her frown further. Something was telling her that he was definitely lying. If the scheme was complete there, then why did he say that Dru was imperative to the task? If that was the case, any other villain could do a much better job than that blonde idiot. On this occasion, she decided to keep her mouth shut, but the suspicion was really getting to her, and she knew that holding back the questioning for much longer was going to be difficult.

"Anyway, even though we have to wait until tomorrow, I need you guys to stay here for the night." Venin explained. "Since this plan is almost complete, risking you guys getting caught or killed cannot happen, so I would appreciate it if you stayed in the safety of the hideout."

"Ugh...this is gonna be torture." Fiona muttered, leaning her head back in exasperation. "Have you got any alcohol?"

"Of course." Venin replied. He snapped his gaze angrily towards the nearest bodyguard, making him immediately fearful. "Go get her some wine."

The bodyguard didn't dare argue with him and dashed off to complete his task. As he left, Venin moved over and took a seat at the table next to Dru, kicking his feet up and relaxing into the chair. Dru kept a small watch on him, fearing slightly for his safety.

"While you guys are here," Venin began. "You should probably learn the plan for tomorrow in and out. _Nothing_ can go wrong, because if it does, there will be _dire_ consequences."

For the first time since meeting him, Dru noticed an incredibly dangerous presence behind his deep gaze, causing him to inch back in his seat to move away from him. He immediately put his head down and replayed the task in his head, in order to avoid any more aggressive threats. But, even though he was trying, it was hard to think about the mission when the fright from his glare remained.

He knew that tomorrow had to go perfectly, or otherwise, it could cost him his life...

* * *

Edith and Charlie arrived at the soccer field, which thankfully, was completely empty. No stupid teenagers hogging the entire field, just the two of them and as much space as they needed to play to their heart's content. They ran over to the nearest set of goalposts and set the ball down on the grass, ready to be kicked.

"Kick it to me." Edith shouted, running over to the edge of the box in anticipation. Charlie peered down at the ball and gritted his teeth. He was terrible at soccer, and if he messed up, he was afraid that Edith would think weirdly of him. He took a deep breath and kicked the ball, practically praying that it would go to Edith. Unfortunately, it was sent flying far away from where Edith was standing, making the nine-year-old twist her expression in confusion. "Um...I said 'to me'."

"Yeah...I h-heard." Charlie replied, turning away embarrassingly. "I g-guess...I'm just r-rubbish at s-soccer."

Edith watched him as his expression transcended to fear. The fact that his stuttering had returned also proved how frightened he was, which was confusing Edith somewhat. Maybe he felt like an idiot for messing it up, or maybe, he was afraid of being mocked. Either way, it was a little strange. As her thought process continued, she couldn't help but break out into a smirk.

Even though she loved spending time with Jack, everytime she did anything with her brother, she would always find herself getting outdone. It always annoyed her when he would beat her at something, even though it should be expected, considering he was much older. But with Charlie, his nerves seemed to make him rubbish at a lot of things, meaning she could finally be the one to outdo someone.

She ran over to the ball until it was right at her feet, and then eyed up the goal. Charlie stood and watched as she narrowed her eyes, picking out her target. She stepped forward and booted the ball with all of her might. It went flying right into the top corner of the net, making Charlie's mouth drop in shock. The blonde smiled proudly as she strutted over to him, walking with a clear sense of fulfilment.

"That's how you kick a soccer ball." She stated. Charlie turned to her, his mouth still agape, and gawked impressively.

"That was...amazing." He said, still stunned. Edith was loving every moment of his shock, not wanting it to end. "How did you learn to do that?"

"Uh...my brother taught me." She replied. She thought of how Jack would react in this situation, when he beat someone at something. Usually, when he did end up winning, he would act incredibly humble, as if he was the end-of-all expert. Hiding her strong feeling of pride, she shrugged and acted causal, as if she didn't really care. "It's not that hard."

"Could...could you teach me?" He asked feebly. Edith stood and watched him, checking to see if he was actually being serious. But, considering the way he was looking back at her, he geniunely wanted her to teach him something.

 _'Cool.'_ Edith thought to herself.

"Yeah, alright." She responded, moving over to the goal and picking the ball up from inside the net. She kicked it back to Charlie, making it land and roll perfectly at his feet, walking back over to stand right beside him. As she stood there, she imagined her brother when he taught her something, and how he would go about doing it. "First, just concentrate on exactly where you wanna kick it. So, let's say the top corner of the goal. Then, just kick it."

Charlie gave the goal a quick glance, nowhere near long enough for full concentration, making Edith huff in exasperation and aggressively grab his attention before he went to kick it.

"That's not concentrating!" She bellowed loudly, startling him slightly. "Look at the top corner for a few seconds, and then try to picture it in your head. Then, when you go to kick the ball, remember that picture as you boot it."

After she spoke, Charlie switched his gaze to the top-corner of the goal. As she requested, he scanned how it looked and pictured it in his head, still keeping the image as he turned to face the ball. He moved forward and kicked it as hard as he could, which wasn't particularly hard, watching as it went soaring into the top-corner.

"Woahhhhh!" He gawked in amazement. "I did it! I did it! I did it!"

"Yeah, yeah, okay." Edith said, holding the bridge of her nose as she rolled her eyes. "Just remember that trick and you'll score every time."

"Awesome!" Charlie exclaimed. "You're a pretty good teacher."

"I...I am?" Edith questioned, twisting her expression in bewilderment.

"Yeah!" He replied. "I could never have done that if you weren't."

"Huh..." Edith muttered under her breath, turning away. Now that she thought about it, she was a pretty decent teacher. Charlie had no clue how to score a goal, up until she arrived and shown him how. A smile breached her face again, admiring her newfound skill, until Charlie gathered her attention with a shout.

"Hey!" He said happily, moving into the goal and collecting the ball. "Wanna do a penalty shootout?"

"Okay." Edith responded, nodding. "As long as you don't mind getting your butt kicked."

Charlie laughed as he moved over and put the ball down on the penalty spot, walking back over to stand in between the posts after doing so. Even though she was laughing as well, she was in no way joking. She knew she could easily embarrass him. As she walked and stood over the ball, watching Charlie as he clearly had no clue what do as a goalkeeper, a thought crossed her mind.

 _'This kid's alright...'_

* * *

Venin, Dru and Fiona were still sat in the hall. Venin and Dru were watching another dated movie on the projecter, the latter not having a clue what was going on, while Fiona sat and drank through multiple glasses of wine. The fuzziness that accompanied alcohol was making itself present, meaning Dru's squealing voice was nowhere near as frustrating as it was earlier.

As Venin got himself lost within the plot of the movie, which was much better than the one he watched two days ago, one of his bodyguards came up from behind and anxiously tapped his shoulder, a detailed report within his grasp. The masked villain turned around quickly, eyeing the bodyguard up with a fiery glare.

"What do you want, Dan!?" He bellowed, making the bodyguard nervously step back. "Can you not see that we're trying to watch a movie here?!"

The bodyguard wearily handed the long report to Venin, quivering a little in fear. The villain scanned the information on the paper with an irritated expression, taking in the details. As he read on, his face twisted into more and more anger, until he eventually reached the end. He slammed it down onto the desk, making Dru jump, clenching his fists and shaking a little in concentrated ire.

"Those bastards..." He muttered under his breath, binding his teeth together. He turned to his two partners, who were watching him in bewilderment, and spoke as softly as his anger could allow him. "Would you excuse me for a moment?"

He got up from his seat and made his way for a nearby door, ushering for the bodyguard to follow. He emerged into a smaller room, one of which was just big enough to hold the averagely sized supercomputer, and took a seat at the desk, the bodyguard moving over to stand beside him.

On screen, was a list of search results and webpage links, titled with the same IP address that was used by Nigel. He shook his head in irritation as he read through, each link and result involving Venin is someway.

"Ugh..." Venin mumbled angrily, tensing up. "Nigel was part of the plan, but these guys are taking the biscuit!"

He turned away for a second in thought, catching a glance of a small set of drawers nearby. They were used exclusively for holding the less intricate weapons, such as handguns and knives, and a risky plan formed in his head.

"You know what," He began, moving over and opening the top drawer. He fished out a handgun and a spare cartridge of bullets and handed them to the bodyguard. "How about we have some fun? I assume you know what to do..."

The bodyguard handled the weapon in his grasp for a moment, nodding excitedly. If his brain was still clean, he wouldn't have found pleasure from killing people, but since that was not the case, he couldn't wait to get started. He gave Venin a brief nod before heading out of the room. His next destination being...

...the AVL headquarters.

* * *

 _Now we're getting started!_

 _If you enjoyed, please consider reviewing. I can see people are still interested, so I'm definitely not abandoning the story. Will return ASAP._


	9. Getting Together

_And, we're back._

 _Thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter. Hope this one doesn't disappoint._

* * *

 **Chapter Nine -  
** _ **Getting Together**_

Jack eyed himself up in the bathroom mirror, nodding contentedly as he admired his appearance. He wore a very smart, long-sleeved black shirt with tight-fit light blue jeans. The room smelled so much of spray-on deodorant, that any more might lead to the possibility of suffocation. As he stared his figure up and down in the glass, he had to admit, he looked fairly attractive.

He didn't know why dressing nicely suddenly meant so much, as usually, he would wear some scruffy, beaten-up joggers out to fancy restaurants, just to stand out. But now, the very thought of doing that sounded ridiculous to him. He couldn't help but think that if he reverted back to the way he was two months ago, he would scoff and mock the person standing in front of him, for looking like some sort of prince doll that a little girl would own.

He checked his collar one more time, which would be the fifteenth time in the last five minutes, and then walked out into the hallway, making his way towards the stairs.

Edith was walking back up the front steps of the house, returning home from the soccer field. As she predicted, she smashed Charlie in the penalty shootout, not missing a single shot. Even though he failed to save any of her attempts, Charlie didn't really seem to care, instead electing to shrug it off with a laugh.

Just as she reached the final step, the front door swung open, Jack rushing out of it in a hurry. Losing his concentration, he jumped and came to a stop as the pink figure at the steps startled him. He gave Edith a surprised glare, sighing and calming down as he realized who it was.

"Oh. It's you..." He spoke. Edith narrowed her eyes at him, looking him up and down as the extreme smell of deodorant took over her senses. In her opinion, the clothes he was wearing made him look ridiculous, electing her to scowl and turn her head away.

"Ugh...I'm gonna throw up." She proclaimed, frowning. Jack gave a sigh of exasperation, deciding to ignore the comment and guide the conversation away from his appearance.

"When do Gru and Lucy usually get back from work?" He asked. Edith still refused to look at him.

"Dunno." She muttered quietly. "Like, five minutes or something."

"Oh...okay." Jack said, narrowing his eyes at her suspiciously. "I'm...going out now, so..."

"Can't remember asking..." Edith responded dryly, turning her head away. Jack twisted his expression in confusion, analyzing the depth of the frown glued to her face. She seemed _extremely_ infuriated with him, and Jack still had no clue as to why. But, being the no-nonsense type of person that he was, he wasn't going to just stand there and keep himself silent.

"Alright, what gives!?" He snapped, lowering his head and crossing his arms with hers. "Why are you acting like this!?"

"So you don't even know why!?" Edith blurted back, her feelings getting even more hurt. She finally lifted her head to look at him, giving him the most aggressive look Jack had ever seen from her.

"Clearly not!" Jack replied. He wasn't going to let her expression scare him from questioning. "So...fancy explaining!?"

"It's Saturday today!" She bellowed, putting her hands on her hips. "What do we usually do on a Saturday!?"

Jack continued to look at her as if she'd gone mad, not having a clue as to what she was getting at. What _did_ they usually do on a Saturday? Jack was completely unsure. Saturdays were just chill days, where him and the girls would usually spend the whole time getting up to random things. And then, they'd watch TV in the evenings. That's when the realization clicked, making him cock his head a little.

"Wait...you're not sulking because I'm not watching Unseen Hunter with you, are you?" Jack questioned, his irritation not softening in the slightest. Edith turned away again, her silence providing him with the answer. "Jeez, Edith! It's just a cartoon! It doesn't matter if I miss one episode!"

"It's not _just_ about the cartoon, Jack!" Edith boomed, shooting her gaze at him like a handgun. At this point, Jack was completely lost. He simply stood there, glaring at her in fiery bewilderment, until the sound of a large rocket engine pulled his attention away. Gru and Lucy had returned home, pulling up into the driveway at speed. As they did so, Agnes came running out of the front door, thundering past Jack and Edith to greet her parents as they exited the large vehicle.

"Mommy! Daddy!" She yelled, smiling brightly as she latched onto Gru's leg. "You're home!"

"Eet would appear so." Gru replied, grinning as he uncomfortably raised his leg, Agnes still holding on for dear life. A moment later, another smaller car appeared and parked beside the curb, honking it's horn and grabbing everyone's attention. It was Violet. Without another word, Jack rushed past Edith, who put her head down to stew in anger, and made his way down the steps towards Violet's car. As he did so, Gru and Lucy turned their heads in unison, giving him a questioning look.

"Don't bother making me dinner tonight, Gru." Jack began. "I'm gonna be out until quite late."

"How late?" Gru asked quickly, clearly a little surprised by this abrupt news.

"Dunno, like twelve or something." He responded with a shrug. Gru gave him another surprised look, this one seeming mixed with anger.

"Twelve!?" He boomed. "As een, meednight!?"

" _Noooo_ , as in noon." Jack responded disingenuously, rolling his eyes in exasperation. He knew where this conversation was going, and considering the lingering anger from the conversation with Edith, he was in no mood for an argument.

"C'mon, daddy!" Agnes yelped, finally letting go of her father's leg, instead electing to pull him by the scarf towards the front door. Jack grinned victoriously as he watched Gru get dragged away, happy to have escaped the daunting conversation. He added one last goodbye before jumping into Violet's car.

"See you later!" He boomed. He slammed the car door closed, the vehicle speeding off down the road straight after, as if Jack had urgently ushered her to drive off swiftly. Gru growled under his breath as the car drove away, the only thing preventing him from slapping his forehead being the want to keep himself on his feet, struggling under Agnes's pulling.

Edith turned and watched as Violet's car disappeared, transforming the look of anger to a pout of sadness once he was gone. She didn't want to be angry with Jack anymore, but every time she saw the person her brother was becoming, she couldn't help herself. Only a few days ago, Jack was his usual self, preferring the cooler way of life just like her. But now, he was playing unicorns with Agnes, dressing like some sort of weirdo and desiring to ditch her on Unseen Hunter night. For the first time since meeting him...

...Edith couldn't see her reflection in Jack anymore.

* * *

Jack and Violet sat at their table in Zarelli's, the former scanning the menu with a scrunched expression. There were many unrecognizable foods listed upon it, all seeming to possess posh names and ridiculous prices. He shook his head in disapproval as he looked down the list, not finding anything particularly appetizing, perking up and nodding happily after noticing 'pizza' at the bottom.

"Are we ready to order?" The waiter inquired, strutting over to the desk quickly. He gave the two and impatient look as he held the notepad, irritatingly tapping the pen against it, as if simply standing there was an incredibly draining task.

"Uh...I guess I'll have the pizza." Violet said, shrugging. She gave Jack a momentary glance, worried he would think less of her for going with such a standard option, as he closed and placed the menu down.

"I'll have what she's having." He said nonchalantly. She felt a bit stupid for being worried about that, considering the kind of person that Jack was. Even though he clearly tried his best with his appearance, he was obviously not one to care about fine-dining.

"Great choice." The waiter proclaimed sluggishly, writing the orders down and taking the menus from the table. He immediately dashed off, making his way over to the next set of customers. Jack peeked his head up and watched him, spying his gruff expression as he frowned at a couple sat at a nearby table, who were taking a very long time to decide their option.

"I don't think he likes his job." Jack stated, smirking. Violet turned to snatch a glance of him, giggling and turning back after doing so.

"Not a bad guess." She replied. Jack chuckled, lowering his head back down again. "Ooo! Talking about 'job', I got myself an interview with this travel operator place."

"Oh." Jack said, his expression deepening quickly. She seemed very happy to announce this piece of news. He couldn't see himself putting in the same level of enthusiasm if he was forced into a job interview. "When?"

"Two days." She replied. "I'm nervous as hell, but...I'm also kinda excited. I mean, it is a job, so it's obviously gonna suck, but imagine how good it's gonna look on my CV."

"Uh, yeah..." Jack spoke, turning his head away. He didn't have a clue what a CV was, but to avoid continuing this boring, and slightly upsetting, conversation, he decided against questioning it.

"Anyway, enough about that stuff," Violet started, noticing the disinterest in Jack's face. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Again?" Jack quizzed, playfully twisting his expression. "I thought I told you everything about me when we were up on that mountain."

"Well, yeah, but..." She began, realizing that she could be stepping into dangerous territory again. "I noticed something a little peculiar when I came to pick you up."

"Oh?" Jack inquired, furrowing his brow. "What's that?"

"Um...I saw that...you called your dad by his first name." She said, speaking softly as she tested the waters. Jack's playfulness immediately faded. "I mean, I know he's your adoptive dad and all, but...I saw that your sister called him 'daddy'. Why don't you?"

Jack turned his head away, beginning to shift uncomfortably in his seat. By going down this sort of route, Jack might start telling her things that Gru and even his own sister didn't know about. He didn't exactly want to admit those things, considering how much it was seeming to haunt him as of late. Violet watched as he lowered his head sadly. She didn't want to cause an upset by pushing him into a serious topic, but before she could change the subject, Jack spoke.

"I really want to call him that, but...I'm just...I'm just afraid that-" He began. The statement that would uncover the secret was at the tip of his tongue, but he just couldn't let it out. He was way too scared. The nightmares were constantly replaying it, which was hard enough, so telling Violet could provide another unnecessary source of fearful reminders. He shook his head and replaced the words, deciding to lie to her again. "I dunno...I guess I just haven't known him for long enough yet...it just doesn't feel right."

"Oh...I guess that makes sense." She replied. She could see the unease draw on his face, as if he was deadly frightened. Making him scared or sad wasn't the reason for bringing him here, so she felt a little guilty. "I...I didn't mean to upset you."

"No, no, don't worry about it." Jack said quickly, lifting his head and giving her a reassuring smile. "It's not your fault."

But, as those words left his mouth, he began to feel upset again. Of course, this was definitely not her fault, but the reminder of the person who's fault this was caused him sorrow. He needed to stop thinking about him, but recently, he was struggling in doing so. He was gone now, gone forever, so he really had nothing to fear. But, his brain didn't seem to agree.

"Anyway, I'll be honest, Jack," Violet started, smiling mischievously. "There was a reason behind bringing you here."

Jack lifted his head high, giving her a suspicious glare. There was a reason for bringing him here? What could it be? Was it in any way malicious? Again, his IVB instincts were making him paranoid, forcing him into considering the worst. Before he got too carried away, he calmed down and spoke as nonchalant as possible, assuring himself that it wasn't anything bad.

"Uh...and what reason would that be?" He asked. She lowered her head, removing the evil smirk, immediately replacing it with an anxious glare. She put her gaze on the table and bit her upper lip, thinking about the best possible way to traverse this topic.

"Well...I've really enjoyed the time we've spent together, Jack." She stated. "I mean, you make me laugh, you've got a cool personality and...well, you're a pretty good looking guy."

"Oh, uh...thanks." Jack said, smiling. Those comments, especially from her, made him feel relaxed and appreciative. On the other hand, something deep inside his mind was fizzling angrily, as if it seemed to disagree with her statement, but he ignored it. "So...what's your point?"

"Um...I know that we haven't known each other for that long, but I feel like you're one of the best people I've ever met." She said, glancing at Jack momentarily, who seemed to be elated with the conversation. Obviously, arguing with compliments was a stupid thing to do. "So...even though it's probably a bit soon...I was wondering...if you wanted to...maybe, I dunno, get together."

Jack's smile disappeared swiftly, replacing itself with a bewildered expression. He stared at her in confusion, obviously unsure as to what she was getting at, until the realization appeared in his head. Getting together? As in... _together_? His eyes widened and his lips parted slightly, pulling a unique expression of discomfort.

"Wait...are you asking me out?" He questioned, inching back in his seat. "Like...boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"Uh...yeah." She replied quietly, not meeting his gaze. Jack didn't know what to think. A girlfriend? Was he really that type of person? He always told himself that he'd never fall into a relationship, as he saw them as a pointless waste of time. But, as he thought about Violet and the time he'd spent with her, he didn't see a relationship with her as such a bad thing. It was a little scary to think that he would have...a girlfriend. But, at the same time, it sounded pretty cool. "You...you don't have to say 'yes'."

"No, no...yeah, I'd love to." He spoke quickly, nodding his head. Immediately after speaking, he felt a little regretful. He wished he had a lot more time to consider it, to really weigh the options up, but if he just sat there thinking to himself for around five minutes, she was sure to get offended. It wasn't that he didn't want to go out with her. It was more the problems it might create, and how hiding her from Edith was going to be a much more difficult task from this point.

"Great!" She exclaimed cheerfully. She let out a huge breath, one that she must've been holding in out of fear, and spoke calmly. "In all honesty, I was a little scared there."

"Why?" Jack asked.

"I dunno...maybe I was scared you'd say no or something," Violet admitted, shrugging nervously. "Or...scared you thought I was ugly."

"Pfft...I could never think that." He stated, chuckling a little. As the next sentence prepared itself, Jack lowered his head sheepishly, knowing that his next statement would officially declare him as a tool. He was just thankful Edith couldn't hear him right now. "I think...you're actually quite pretty."

"Aww, well...thank you." She replied, smiling warmly at his comment. She could tell that admitting that must've been uncomfortable for him, considering that those words completely went against his entire personality. At that moment, the waiter moved over and placed the pizzas in front of them, not even offering them a glance on this occasion. As the delicious smell took over Jack's senses, his mind snapped back into place, making him grin excitedly.

"Now, the food's here, so no more talking." He demanded playfully, winking at her. Violet giggled. Inside, the giggle gave him another sense of pride. He was a little afraid that the whole ' _getting together_ ' thing might turn him into an awkward mess, but he still seemed pretty confident.

So far, he was proving to be an excellent boyfriend.

* * *

Gru, Lucy, and the girls were sat at the table, eating dinner. There was no conversation going on between them, and the room was completely silent, what with Margo lulled into another dreamy trance, Edith sulking in an aggressive fashion, and Agnes concentrated on eating as fast as she could. Gru was even too stressed and tired to converse with his wife, something he always had enough energy for.

As Gru sat there, lost in thought as he ate listlessly, his mind was flicking through recent events. No information had been collected yet on the mind-control ray, and there were no new findings in the Nigel case. As each day passed, the conclusion of failure seemed to become more probable.

He was becoming so desperate, that he told the agents it was completely fine to ring him tonight if new information came to light. He would usually ensure no phone call interruptions occurred during his designated family time, but at this point, he just wanted the cases complete and out of the way.

"Dad?" Edith asked, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Could you come watch TV with me tonight?"

"I would love to, Edith but..." Gru began, watching as his middle daughter's face sank sadly as he added the last word. "Dad has a lot of work to be doeeng."

"But you're always working." She muttered solemnly.

"I know, sweetie, but I don't have any choice." Gru replied, huffing. He wished as much as Edith that he had enough time to watch TV with her. But, with the new batch of paperwork coming in and the possibility of an AVL phone call, there was no way he could do so uninterrupted.

And then, as if fate was watching him from the window, his phone buzzed in his pocket, producing an exasperated groan from the director. He reached in and grabbed it, reluctantly answering with a deep sigh.

"What ees eet?" He asked gruffly. The family stared at him intently, trying to gather the details of the phone call, the boredom of silence giving them nothing else to do or think. They all watched as his eyes widened in shock, proceeded by a loud splutter as he choked on his food, making Lucy and the girls jump in surprise. Gru stood up from the table in panic, holding the phone closer to his ear.

"Are yoo being serious!? How deed dis even happen!?" He blurted, practically screaming down the receiver. "Oh my god! Deed yoo manage to catch heem!?"

Lucy and the girls exchanged confused looks, each of them using their expressions to ask the obvious question in the air. What on earth was he on about?

"Okay, okay, dat's good." Gru spoke, this time much calmer. "Get a few agents to eenterogate heem. I'm on my way!"

Gru swiftly jumped back onto his seat and ate the remainder of his dinner at an extreme pace, his whole family watching him in complete befuddlement. After a moment of stunned silence, excluding the sound of Gru wolfing his food down, Lucy lowered her head to look into her husband's eyes, quizzing him immediately.

"Wanna tell us what that was about?" She asked. Gru offered her a small glance, primarily concentrating on finishing his dinner as soon as possible, speaking through muffled swallows.

"Oh...right." He mumbled. "Some guy broke eento de AVL headquarters, supposedly armed and dangerous, searcheeng for agents to kill. Thankfully, dey've caught heem, and locked heem up een de cells een ready for questioneeng."

"Oh...woah." Lucy spoke, a little shocked, turning away in thought. "Do you think this has something to do with the Nigel case?"

"Who knows." Gru replied, shrugging. "I really hope so, as dat geeves us a huge step-forward een solveeng eet. But steel, eet could just be some random bad-guy."

"It could be Uncle Dru!" Agnes yelped suddenly, leaning on the table. "He's a bad guy!"

"Yes, but...Uncle Dru ees not _armed and dangerous_ ," Gru replied, smirking. The very thought of his brother trying to break into the AVL headquarters with murderous intentions was absurd. "I seriously doubt eet ees heem."

"But, what if it is?" Edith asked.

"Well den, he'll be getteeng a very firm keeck up de backside." Gru proclaimed, grinning humorously. He continued to eat quickly for another minute, proceeding to leap up from his seat and dash out into the hallway after finishing. Just before he disappeared out of ear reach, he called out and gave a last-second goodbye. "I won't be too long!"

"Mom?" Agnes asked suddenly, making Lucy turn away from the kitchen doorway to look at her youngest daughter. "Daddy always looks tired. Is he gonna be okay?"

Lucy put her eyes on the table, thinking about the question and how best to answer it. It was very clear Gru was getting tired, proved by the constant frustrated huffs and the always present exasperated frown, but he didn't seem generally unhappy. He would still laugh and joke around, and mostly, he was still the man she fell in love with. But, surely all that stress can't be good for you.

"Yeah, he'll be fine, Agnes." She replied, glancing at the doorway again. "But...I don't think that director job is really for him..."

* * *

Gru strolled through the main prison hall, eyeing up a few of the TV screens placed high above him, watching as the prisoners either sulked in boredom or growled in anger. The last time he was here, him and Jack came to 'enroll' the frozen IVB spy after he broke into their house and attempted to kill the family. It was also the same time when he slammed his AVL badge down and stormed out of the headquarters, angry with the treatment the prisoners were getting.

The first thing he did when he became director was change the prison rules regarding death. Now, it was against regulations to execute any prisoners _ever_ , no matter how dangerous or malicious they are. The most threatening and evil villains are placed in the underwater prison, where escape is completely impossible, and life is practically unbearable.

But, for the spy who broke into their house, he found out soon after that he had been given the electric chair not too long before Gru became director, so he had absolutely no control over his death. Part of him felt a little bad, but another part felt avenged. That man did try to kill his wife and three little kittens after all, not too long after he tried to kill him, Dru and Jack.

He made his way into the security room, where guards and agents were littered around multiple computers and work desks, busily writing and typing. At the end of the fairly small room was two doors labeled A and B, both leading into different interrogation rooms. He had been told the man who broke in was placed in room B, as room A was currently being used for a villain named 'Pyro', who supposedly attempted to burn down a whole city. Thankfully, the idiot couldn't even set one building on fire before he was caught and jailed.

He approached interrogation room B, where a guard was standing right beside the door, obviously keeping watch for the director. Gru gave him a nod, the guard returning it, before he opened the door and emerged into a dimly-lit room. A man in a black suit with dark shades was tied to a chair, with another agent staring at him dangerously, not seeming to scare the suited man in any way.

"Did you seriously think that you could get away with this!?" The agent exclaimed aggressively, inching closer to his subject. The man didn't respond, nor did he move his head. He remained deathly still, as if he was some sort of statue placed in the middle of town.

"I take dat dis ees de man who broke een." Gru spoke as he entered, startling the agent. He quickly shuffled around until he was face-to-face with the director, offering him a slightly irritated expression.

"Yes, and what a lovely man he is as well." The agent said sardonically. "I've been asking him questions but he hasn't been responding. He's just been sitting there, pretending that I'm not even here."

"Hmm..." Gru mumbled, narrowing his eyes at the criminal. He investigated his appearance, the dark shades and the very slick hair, and attempted to grab as many details about him as possible. As he did so, a realization clicked and his eyes widened, his facial features suddenly connecting with a recent memory. "Wait a meenute...your Daniel Flint!"

Gru pointed his finger at the suited man, but he didn't acknowledge him in any way, instead deciding to keep his gaze firmly locked forward. The agent shared his attention between the criminal and the director, scrunching his face in confusion.

"Wait...you know this guy?" He asked. Gru remained silent for a second, continuing to analyze him closely, before turning and answering the agent's inquiry.

"Not personally." He replied. "I believe dis ees de man who keednapped Nigel. We saw heem on de security footage."

"Oh." The agent responded, looking to his interrogation subject again. "So...what do we do next?"

Gru gave a very deep sigh, watching as Daniel still refused to acknowledge his presence. This was perfect for his case. The man who kidnapped, and probably murdered, Nigel was sitting right in front of him. He had to get information from him, but if he wasn't going to co-operate, then he would have to use some painful means.

"Geeve me de club." Gru demanded. Obviously, the agent didn't argue and moved over to grab the aforementioned weapon from the table. He promptly handed it to the director, watching as he spun it in his grasp, frowning deeply. It had been a long time since he was forced into these sorts of measures, but considering the recent stress and frustration, he was willing to do anything to get the cases complete.

Gru stepped forward towards Daniel, who was still frowning and seemingly incoherent, and gave him a devilish look. He moved until he was directly in front of him, swinging the painful object into the criminal's stomach, forcing him to wince and lean his head back in pain.

"So...wanna start explaineeng!?" Gru exclaimed, watching as Daniel put his head back down and reset his expression, as if the strong whack to his abdomen never even happened. Gru growled under his breath, finding himself getting sick and tired of noncomplying people, and struck him in the stomach again. The exact same thing happened, Daniel leaning back in pain but resetting to indifference after a few seconds.

"Just talk!" Gru exclaimed. In a wild moment of complete anger, he swung the club at the suited man's head, creating a loud thump and knocking him unconscious instantly. The agent watched in slight shock at the director's outburst, struggling to hide his impressed smirk. That guy had been annoying him silly for the past twenty minutes, so he was pleased to see him get his comeuppance.

"Oops." Gru spoke, staring as Daniel Flint's head flopped down. He gave the agent a brief glance of shock, immediately returning it to Daniel as he moved and checked his condition. The location of the knock was slowly reddening, proving that a bruise was sure to surface. Gru placed his hands on the man's shoulders and began shaking, a little like he would do to Edith when she refused to leave her bed. "Daniel...Daniel..."

After a few seconds, he started to shift in his seat, as if he was incredibly uncomfortable and dazed. Gru stepped back and watched as Daniel returned to consciousness, very slowly lifting his head to look at the director. Once he had done, he shot his head around the room in bewilderment, taking in as many details of his location as possible. Not too long later, he turned to Gru and gave him a deathly fearful look.

"Oh my god..." He spoke quietly. "Please tell me that was just a dream."

"What?" Gru questioned, twisting his face in confusion. Daniel attempted to get up from the seat, but after noticing the straps that were trapping him in place, he looked down and mumbled an obscene curse word under his breath.

"No! Please! This isn't happening!" Daniel screamed, closing his eyes and sitting pack. Gru couldn't remember the last time he'd seen someone as afraid as Daniel currently was. Possibly when Jack was laying on the floor of the IVB boss's office, clinging to life. That memory was a little painful to recall, so he immediately erased it. "This wasn't me! I swear! Just please, _YOU GOTTA LISTEN TO ME_!"

"Calm down, just calm down." Gru spoke softly, kneeling down to look into Daniel's eyes. This guy had to be in his mid-thirties, but either way, he had to speak to him like a child in order to excavate any information. "All yoo gotta do, ees answer me a few seemple questions, and everytheeng weel be fine. Understand?"

"Mm-hmm." Daniel whimpered quietly, nodding as he began shaking in fright. He was obviously still in a complete panic, purely based on the speed of his breathing, but by the look on his face, he was clearly up for co-operation.

"Good." Gru replied. "Now, do yoo remember de events of de past few days?"

"Yeah..." Daniel stated, nodding swiftly.

"Good, good, dat's good." Gru continued. "Do yoo remember keednappeeng a man named Nigel from his apartment?"

"Uh-huh..." Daniel replied, nodding again. This time, however, his eyes widened again and his shaking became more rapid. "B-But, I didn't want to, I j-just...I dunno, it was like I was out of control of my own body!"

"Hmm, yes...I predicted as much." Gru spoke, using a reassuring tone. It was obvious that this guy would never have the nerve to breach the AVL headquarters and kill anyone. A guy like that would never anxiously hyperventilate by a few easy questions. "Tell me, who told yoo to keednap dis man."

"I dunno his real name," Daniel informed, lowering his head as he recalled his memories. "But he went around calling himself Venin for some reason. Him and his wife kidnapped me and like four other guys to do his bidding years ago, and I've been trapped in his hideout ever since! He used this huge metal gun on me and then...I dunno, it's like I lost all control of myself."

"Venin, huh?" Gru pondered, his gaze drifting off to the ceiling. Suddenly, things were piecing together. The large metal gun must've been the IVB's mind-control ray, which according to the reports, was stolen from the headquarters not too long ago. The decision to send this man to break into the AVL headquarters was definitely a very stupid one. This Venin guy must be some sort of degenerate. "Do yoo know _why_ he sent yoo to keednap Nigel?"

"Yeah, I think he's-" He began. He suddenly interrupted himself as a seriously devastating thought occurred to him. He remembered all that time spent standing deadly still in the headquarters, idly listening to the conversation and the briefings, recalling of the information that Venin had told Dru and Fiona.

"What!?" The agent exclaimed, moving to stand beside Gru, giving him an extremely questioning look. Daniel lifted his head very quickly, inching as far as he could in his seat to ensure his message got across.

"You guys gotta do something!" He exclaimed. "That Venin guy, he's...he's gonna...he wants to-"

"What ees eet!?" Gru shouted, urging the answer out of him as quick as possible. There was silence for a few seconds, Daniel simply sitting there with his head low in complete and utter worry, until he looked back up and spoke in a very quiet and panicked voice, sending a spark of panic down Gru's spine.

"He's gonna kill everyone!"

* * *

Edith sat slumped on the sofa in the living room, her head low in a deep sulk. The opening credits to Unseen Hunter started playing, but Edith was too upset to care. Her gaze was mostly focused on the door, hoping with all of her heart that it would open and allow Jack an entrance into the room. It seemed like it was too late. Her brother wasn't coming back to watch it with her, no matter how much she wanted him to. She had to fight the urge to tear up a little.

Suddenly, Kyle jumped up out of nowhere and landed near her on the couch. At first, the sight of the creature caused Edith to sit up in surprise, but after realizing that it was just the family ' _pet_ ', she sighed and slumped back into the sofa again. The dog-like thing crawled over and cuddled beside the tomboy, as if he realized what was wrong and was trying to cheer her up. Edith turned to the TV and began watching with a dark frown, lightly petting Kyle absentmindedly as she did so.

Then, the door creaked as it opened up, making Edith turn her head at the speed of light to see who was emerging into the room. She prayed that Jack would peek his head around the doorway, giving her a wink and strutting over to sit beside her, but unfortunately, it was only Margo. Edith huffed and turned away again, her frown returning.

"Have you seen my phone anywhere?" Margo asked, spying her unhappy sister on the sofa. Edith shrugged sluggishly, not even offering her a glance. The bespectacled twelve-year-old narrowed her eyes at her, but before she could question her angered expression, she spied her light-blue phone sat atop the foot of the crocodile-couch. "Ah, there it is."

She moved over and picked it up, quickly pressing the power button to light up the screen. The notification panel alerted her to several messages from both Chester and Avery, and she was itching to see what they detailed. Just as she went to leave the room again, she caught a small glimpse of the TV screen, where she realized Edith was watching Unseen Hunter all on her own.

"Don't you usually watch that with Jack?" She asked. The nine-year-old scowled gruffly, preparing to begin the explanation.

"Yeah, I do!" She blurted, still petting Kyle, who seemed more than happy in his little spot beside her. "But he's gone out again, for like the millionth time! Where is he going!? Why does he always come back so late!? Why is he leaving me all the time!? Does he...just not like me...?"

The last question was a lot more hushed and sorrowful than the others, showing how much it must've hurt to ask it. The protective side of Margo emerged, something that only did so when one of her sisters was upset, and she traipsed over to sit beside her. She had promised Jack she wasn't going to say anything, but considering how upset Edith seemed, and considering how he'd already broken one of _his_ promises, she decided to tell her little sister the reasoning behind Jack's outings.

"Of course he likes you, Edith." She began, putting a hand on her shoulder, practically having to lean over Kyle's unmoving body. "But...I know why he's going out all of the time."

"Really!?" She questioned, perking her head up. "Why?"

"Um...I don't know the best way to tell you this," Margo began, turning away a little. "You know that you and Jack aren't _exactly_ the same, don't you?"

Edith lowered her head again. Yes, of course she knew that. She didn't have massive strength, or daunting muscles, or no school. But, Jack had all of those, and she was still incredibly jealous.

"Yeah..." She muttered.

"Well, even though _you_ don't get crushes..." Margo began, biting her upper lip a little. "That doesn't mean Jack doesn't."

"Wait..." Edith spoke, cocking her head a little. "Are you saying that he has a crush on a girl?"

"Uh...yeah." Margo said, nodding. "Remember that girl he was speaking to at Super Silly Fun Land?"

"Woah, woah, woah!" She exclaimed, sitting up and startling Kyle. "He has a crush on Charlie's sister!?"

"Mm-hmm." Margo mumbled, nodding again.

"As in...kissy-things and love and holding hands and stuff?"

"Yep." Margo stated. She wasn't sure how her sister was going to take this piece of news. Was she going to get angry? Was she going to get sad? Was she not going to care? Even though she'd known her sister for a very long time, she was genuinely unsure as to which one. But, what she wasn't expecting was for her to growl aggressively, a little like Kyle would, and storm out of the room, slamming the living room door behind her.

Margo watched her sister's outburst in shock, the slam causing her to jump in surprise as it completely caught her off guard. She exchanged a confused look with Kyle, who was sat there with a similar expression to hers, and shrugged unknowingly. If Kyle was a human, instead of a...whatever he was currently, he probably would've returned it.

* * *

Jack and Violet strolled slowly down the street towards the latter's house, guffawing loudly and most likely waking up most of the neighborhood. They were coming home from the party, where Jack spent most of the time coming to terms with being someone's boyfriend, and they were both a little drunk. Jack was the least drunk of the two, opting to drink just enough to stay coherent, while also just enough to have his vision blur slightly.

As the two got up to Violet's front path, the teenage girl turned to her new boyfriend and gave him an excited smile. Jack eyed her expression up in perplexion as they came to a stop.

"What are you so excited about?" He asked. Even though it was in no way a humorous question, Violet couldn't help but laugh again, almost falling to the ground in a heap as she uncontrollably stumbled everywhere.

"Well...it's not that late," She began. Jack took a quick glance at his watch, and after beating the blur, spied that it was half-past midnight. She was wrong. It was quite late, but he was way too intoxicated to care. "So, maybe...I dunno...you could come inside and... _fool around_."

She whispered the last two words, as if they were incredibly naughty words, even though they weren't naughty in the slightest and held no understandable meaning to Jack. He gave her a bewildered shake of the head, managing to retain his drunken smile through it, before questioning her confusing statement.

"What the hell are you on about?" He asked, maybe a little bit too loudly. She guffawed again, grabbing his hand and dragging him down her front path towards the front door.

"We gotta be quiet." She instructed lowly, the two giggling through their forced whispers as they trudged down the path. "If we wake my parents or god forbid Charlie, you'll be dead meat."

"Pfft...I ain't scared of your parents." Jack replied, quite loudly again. By the way his voice was slurring, you could tell the alcohol was forcing stupid words out of his mouth. "If they come at me, I'll show 'em who the big man is, let me tell you that."

Violet laughed, almost falling over again as she lost her footing slightly. Even though she found it funny, Jack was in no way joking. If her parents started shouting or trying stuff on him, he would punch her father right in the nose. Even when drunk, Jack was still confident he could put her father in the hospital with one swift swing of his fist.

Violet quietly pushed the door open and tip-toed into the hallway, still dragging Jack by his hand. She signaled for him to stay quiet, Jack responding with a faint nod, before making her way up the stairs towards Violet's bedroom. They emerged into the upstairs hallway and turned left, the teenage girl carefully opening her bedroom door once reaching it. After they had made their way in, Violet let go of her boyfriend's hand and rushed to her bed.

"Lock the door." She whispered, instructing Jack with a quick motion of the hand. Jack turned back around and followed her request, very quietly closing the door behind them. He lifted his head to search for the lock, struggling as his vision continued to spin around in multiple directions, turning it until he heard the 'click' after finding it.

After ensuring the door was indeed locked, he turned around to face Violet again, not expecting to see her with her shirt off. She was still smiling profusely, her hands locked firmly behind her back, clearly holding onto something. Jack stood and looked at her, still confused as to why he was even here, until she released her hands from her back and put them down to her sides.

Jack's eyes widened and his mouth fell completely open in surprise as her bra fell off, completely catching him off guard. A very strange feeling, one of which he hadn't felt for a long time, swept over him, reducing him to a silent glare. He broke into an excited smile, doing so completely unconsciously. He didn't know what the feeling was, or why it was even there, but he did know one thing. It felt amazing.

After a whole twenty seconds of deep silence, Jack's mind gave him a fractional amount of control. He was still completely unable to move, or shift his gaze, but he was just about able to talk. He thought for a moment, trying to pick out the best words for the situation, before speaking in a very shocked tone.

"Uh...so...that's what you were on about."

* * *

The hall inside Venin's hideout was dimly-lit, the only sound being Dru's quiet snores. The blonde villain had fallen asleep upon the small sofa situated in the room, seeming lost within a very deep sleep. Fiona had gone through her second bottle of wine, and at the minute, she was entirely out of control of her own actions. Venin was sat at the roundtable, his expression slumped in a frown, displaying how tired and grumpy he was.

"Psst...oi, Venin," Fiona whispered, her head bobbing all around the place in a drunken fashion. "I know you're lying to me, you bastard."

"Fiona, please..." Venin muttered. "It's quite late. I would prefer it if we refrained from any conversations at this time of night."

"Well, I would prefer it if you'd stop lying to me." Fiona replied dryly, moving over to sit beside the masked villain. "Your stupid little scheme doesn't end with the white-house, does it? You've got something else planned, I can tell."

"You're talking nonsense." Venin replied. "Maybe next time, you could leave it after a few glasses of that stuff, yeah?"

"No." Fiona stated stubbornly. "Tell me Venin. Why the hell are you involving that blonde incompetent ass in this plan? If it ended with the white house, we could've just used a more skilled villain. But if there's another ending, then I'd quite like to know what it involves."

"I can't tell you that, Fiona." Venin replied, turning to face her with an extremely aggressive frown. "It's way too early to start discussing that yet."

"A-ha! So there is another ending." She said, burrowing her gaze into her partner. "Why can't you just tell me what it is, so I can help you sort it out, and everything will be much easier?"

"Because I cannot risk the plan being exposed to Dru just yet." He stated. "This is very important to me, Fiona. Me and my wife made a grave mistake, and in order to follow her dying wish, I must undo it. _That_ is why Dru is involved. He is the key to solving my problem."

"Problem?" Fiona replied, scrunching her expression. "The only ' _problem_ ' we have is that idiot asleep on the couch. I'm warning you Venin, he's gonna mess up your plan tomorrow. It's a miracle he didn't mess up the assassination plan."

"He may be a dullard, but there is no way he can mess up reading a simple script." Venin said. "Once the US army is ours, me and you can take control of the white house, and we are free to cut Dru out of the scheme. But until then, could you please just _shut up_ and accept that Dru needs to be involved."

"Fine." Fiona replied with ire. "But don't come crying to me when your whole plan is flushed down the toilet."

She got up from her seat and slumped back over to her half-full wine glass, electing to finish it and then hit the hay. Venin narrowed her eyes at her as she did so, a mix of anger and admiration sweeping over him. She was certainly one who wanted her own say in the plan, and that is what he liked about her. He should become a villain scout, as he clearly did a very good job in picking out Fiona and bringing her back into villainy.

They may not get along very well, but she was an excellent candidate to stand beside him in the new life he was creating for himself. He was about to reinstate his old way of living. However, this time, he would be free to go by his own desires.

And this time, there won't be a mistake standing in his way.

* * *

The front door inched open, Jack walking into the downstairs hallway of the Gru house as quietly as possible. Every light in every room of the house was off, proving the whole family were fast asleep. As they should be, since it was three o'clock in the morning.

He never wanted his time at Violet's to end, but after she got very sleepy and lethargic, they decided to part ways for the night. His mind was still buzzing after what happened, practically still shocked into silence. In order to keep tonight's events a secret, he very slowly made his way up the stairs, trying not to make any noise that would wake anyone up. As he emerged into the upstairs hall, he started towards the bathroom, where the door to the girl's bedroom caught his eye. He smiled and approached it.

He carefully opened the door and peeked his head through, watching as the girls were fast asleep. Margo and Agnes were deathly still, quietly snoring, while Edith had somehow ended up on the other side of the bed, her feet now resting on the pillow. Jack had to stifle his chuckle, in order not to wake them. He always used to do the same as a kid, falling asleep on one side of the bed and then waking up on the other...

Each one of them looked unbearably cute as they laid comotosed, melting Jack's heart that little bit more. He had to admit, he was a very strange type of person. No matter how much he would prove himself as a cool guy, or how much he would show off how strong and intimidating he was, it could all be undone by the girl's cute little smiles. It would immediately bring to life his softer side, the side he both loved and hated, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.

He knew very well that the girl's had a lot of control of him, what with the simple use of a cute expression, something he actually didn't mind in the slightest. Usually, anyone who tried to manipulate him would end up being either manipulated themselves or on the floor with a broken nose. But with the girls, whenever they used their adorableness to manipulate him into doing something, he would just let it happen, not leaving him with any sense of defeat afterward.

After a few seconds, he very carefully closed the door, beginning the trip to the bathroom once again. He opened the bathroom door and switched the light on, the sudden pain of the unexpected shine forcing him to squint. After a few seconds, the pain dissipated and his vision returned, allowing him to spy himself in the mirror.

Possibly because of the alcohol, or possibly because of the recent nightmares, he absolutely hated the person being displayed on the glass. He wasn't a normal person, nor was he an adorable person. He was just some ugly looking inconvenience, who was only being tricked into a decent life, the real depressing life waiting for him to return. There was no way Gru and Lucy actually loved him. It must've been a very convincing lie. How could you love someone like Jack, when you have three young cute daughters to give your attention to?

Jack was nothing compared to his little sister. No wonder his biological parents cared more for Edith. She was the perfect daughter, both cute and loving. Jack, on the other hand, belonged more in a toilet than he did with a brilliant family. The only reason the Gru's were giving him any sort of attention was just to appease Edith. There was no other reason for him to be here.

And, for that matter, Edith probably didn't love him either. She has a really cool adoptive father, with two caring sisters, and an awesome mother who goes many lengths to keep her and her sisters protected. She doesn't need a person to stand beside her and keep her safe, since she already has people who do that for her. She doesn't need a person to come and give her hugs when she's sad, since she already has a mother and father who can provide them. She doesn't need a brother to come and ruin her life, since she already has enough siblings.

Through the extremely damning thoughts, Jack didn't realize that he was crying very hard. The tears were flowing down his cheeks like rivers, only seeming to make him more angry with himself. He growled dangerously, strutting up to the glass at pace, staring himself right in the eyes and speaking coldly.

"You coward..." He muttered lowly. The last time he had spoken so aggressively, was when he was staring at the IVB boss as he sat behind his desk, grinning at him evilly. "Look at you. Crying like a little girl again. You're nothing but a wuss. The boss was right, you're weak! You couldn't win a simple fist-fight with him, even though he was like sixty years old. In fact, you couldn't even stand up for yourself that night eleven years ago. No wonder you've become such a waste of time and space. You don't even deserve to breathe the same air or walk the same ground or grace the same planet as Edith, let alone be her brother. I hate you, and everything about you, with a burning _PASSION_!"

As he continued, more and more reminders came flooding back, forcing more and more tears to fall from his eyes. It was the exact same insults he would receive as a child, being bulleted at him without giving him any chance to comprehend the mental pain he was experiencing. What hurt more was knowing just how true those statements really were. They were deepening his mind further into an extremely uncomfortable abyss.

Eventually, as if his mind couldn't take it any longer, he felt the muscles in his legs wobble and give. Before he fell to the hard tiled floor in a painful heap, he stumbled to the corner of the room and sat down. He crawled up into a ball and held his knees, cradling himself up and down. An extremely frightening feeling overcame him, forcing him into another whimpering cry.

He wanted it to stop. The reminders just kept coming back. They would never let up. That same moment being replayed, over and over again. His face seemed so vivid in Jack's mind, as if he was really looming over him again, his fists clenched and his eyes fiery. Because of that, his heart-rate accelerated to an uncontrollable speed, following the levels of the extreme fear that was plaguing him.

"Please..." He whimpered weakly under his breath. "Please...just go away..."

Nothing would put an end to it. At the minute, his brain was practically floating off, replacing the bathroom in front of him with his old bedroom. The lighting was the same, what with the darkness of night and the faint shine of the moon from the window. It felt so incredibly real, as if the new life he'd made for himself didn't even exist. Then, the moment replayed in all of it's glory, this time within his vivid hallucination. Another cry bundled out of him, as he keeled over and began vigorously shaking on the ground.

Not only was his father appearing in his nightmares, but also...

...his father was appearing in the real world.

* * *

 _Wow, this chapter was a lot longer than I thought it would be. When I planned it out, I predicted that it would be much shorter than the others, but somehow, it ended up exceeding the average word-count. Maybe because I really enjoyed writing this one. Who knows._

 _But in all honesty, I haven't enjoyed writing this sequel as much as I did the original. I've been sticking with it, since I told myself the ending would be a LOT of fun to write, but yeah, it hasn't been as exciting as the first. I'm not saying I've hated it, since it's still been quite fun, but just not as fun as the original. This chapter, however, was an exception, as this one was an extremely entertaining one to write-up._

 _Would seriously appreciate a review, only if you want to of course. Obviosuly, I'm not gonna make it a compulsory rule or anything. Will return soon with the tenth chapter. Should be up in around 3-5 days, as usual._


	10. Falling Apart

_So, we've hit double-digits!_

 _Expect very little fluff in this chapter, as now, it's time to get serious. I've spent a very long time setting this story up, much much longer than I did on the first one, and now the conclusion is on the horizon._

 _Including this one, we should have another three chapters to go, that is if my calculations are correct, which they should be. That means we should end on Chapter Twelve, just like we did on the first one._

 _Hope this one doesn't disappoint. Let's get started..._

* * *

 **Chapter Ten -  
** _ **Falling Apart**_

The entire US army was situated in the briefing hall, slumped back in their seats and chatting amongst themselves in boredom. Most of the men sitting within the hall were not accustomed to remaining deadly still for a long period of time, the majority wishing they could leave to hone their aims at the shooting range or go for a long jog through the nearby woodland.

Backstage, the sergeant shuffled through his set of papers, each one detailing the script the vice-president had handed him. He had spent the night learning it off by heart, and even though his nerves were still racing for the impending talk he had to give, he was pumped and confident he would get through it perfectly.

He took a deep breath, filling his lungs in preparation, before starting towards the stage, his face engrossed in a determined frown. He was so concentrated on hiding the internal flood of fear, he didn't notice the five figures slowly inching towards him, their eyes narrowed in preparation for their next move.

Suddenly, without any warning, Venin jumped from the left and covered the sergeant's mouth and nose with a cloth, the chloroform soaked within knocking him unconscious immediately. Venin slowly lowered the man's body to the floor, ensuring that his fall didn't make any alarming noise. After doing so, he nodded his head at the bodyguards, who promptly moved to push the large mind-control ray, before handing Dru a single piece of paper.

"Okay then, Dru," Venin began, motioning his head towards the stage. "Get out there and take your place at the podium. All you have to do is wait for me to give you the thumbs up, and then read what I have written upon this script. Don't say anything else! While you do that, me and Fiona will operate the mind-control ray and ensure the US army becomes ours, completing the mission successfully. Did you get all that?"

"U-Uh...y-yes." Dru replied, snatching a glance of the stage. There must've been around a thousand or so soldiers sat in front of it. You would have to have nerves of steel not to feel a little intimidated by the prospect of going out there and talking to them all. As he fixed his panicked gaze on the stage, Venin tapped his shoulder quickly, alerting him to turn back around.

"Do not worry, Dru." Venin reassured in a soft voice. "You cannot go wrong if you just stick to the script. Now, don't keep them waiting."

He nodded his head towards the stage, just as the bodyguards heaved the heavy mind-control ray over and placed it beside the group, ready for use. Dru watched with an anxious glare as they did so, taking it as the signal to leave for the stage. He turned around and started for the podium, trying his hardest not to look at the thousands of men in front of him, who were all glaring back at him.

He traipsed up to the podium and stood behind the microphone, choking on the lump in his throat as he spied the intimidating amount of intent stares, all looking in his direction. He cleared his frantic throat and peered over at his group of villains, who were slowly moving the mind-control ray into the soldiers' view. Venin quickly gave him the thumbs up, before darting over to the raygun's controls at speed.

"Uh...h-hello e-everyone." Dru spoke, not daring to look up from the script. As he spoke those words, a whirring sound began booming into his left ear, startling him a little. But, to avoid catching a glimpse of the soldier's faces, he kept his head firmly down, still ensuring his voice could be heard over the microphone. "Yoo now work for Venin and his associates. Yoo do not speak, argue or question his demands. Eef yoo meet his gaze, or hear de sound of his voice, yoo weel tremble een fear and abide by his eenstructions, no matter how much yoo may disagree weeth dem. Yoo weel not miss your old life, nor weel yoo leave his hideout weethout prior permeesion. Yoo are now under his control."

Finally, as he reached the end of the script, he slowly peered up to look at his audience, his teeth gritted in fear. Every single soldier in the room was deathly still, different to how they were when the blonde villain began the speech. They all had their eyes widened and their lips parted, their expressions mirroring exactly that of Venin's bodyguards, blank and emotionless.

"Great work, Dru!" Venin exclaimed, bounding over to him. Fiona trudged alongside him, her arms crossed and her face overtaken by that now familiar chilled frown. "That wasn't too hard, was it?"

"Uh...no." Dru replied. He glanced back at the army, all of whom were still without emotion, and scrunched his expression. He moved his gaze back to Venin before speaking. "What do we do weeth dem now den?"

"Well, what do you think?" Venin began, smirking devilishly. Dru noticed that his evil smiles were becoming more dangerous by the hour. "The next stage of the plan is ready to begin. All we have to do, is instruct these men of our demands, and then begin the trip to the white house."

"Already?" Dru questioned. The scheme was moving along so quickly, Dru was struggling a little to keep up. "B-But, I thought yoo said dis would be a three-week job."

"Yes, well, I over-estimated." Venin responded. "Now that the US army is ours, we have no other cogs to turn in order to ensure success in the objective. In other words, we're ready!"

Dru turned his head away, a slight layer of worry painted on his face. Beforehand, he was incredibly excited to storm the white house and take over as president, adding that much-needed hint of spice to his life. But now, he was scared. What if everything went wrong? What if Venin was a bad president? What if he got hurt?

He had a family now. If he got hurt, he would deeply upset them, something he definitely didn't want to do. And, if Venin became a malicious dictator, his family could rue the consequences. Before he had the chance to turn back and speak, attempting to use a ridiculous excuse to push back the white-house mission, Venin strutted up to the microphone and bellowed his demonic voice down it, electing the soldier's attention.

"Men! Listen up!" He snapped. The soldiers immediately cowered in fear, something the script had instructed them to do, and adjusted their blank gazes to their new controller. "I have taken control of your minds for a reason! To fight back against the world! Today, we will charge the white-house, remove the president and his bodyguards, and become the _RULERS OF THE PLANET!_ Do I make myself crystal clear!?"

In unison, every soldier lifted their arms and saluted Venin, who grinned proudly. The plan was working. Soon, very soon, all his mistakes would be corrected. The bane of his life would be undone. His wife, god rest her soul, would be satisfied, her wish fulfilled.

Everything would be perfect.

"LET'S GO!" Venin boomed, electing the entire army to cheer and storm out of the room, Venin and Fiona following on. Dru remained still for a moment, trying his hardest to push back the enveloping fear, perking up and running on after them a few seconds later. With all of his might, he pulled in a fake sense of determination, pressing it upon his expression. Soon, he caught up with his villain partners and ran alongside them, frowning mischievously in anticipation. However, if Dru could've known what would happen next...

...he never would've caught up with them.

* * *

The alarm clock buzzed irritatingly, signaling the dawn of a new day, waking Gru and his partner up from their slumber. Lucy didn't hesitate in shuffling out of bed and dressing into her usual attire, while her husband groaned and turned around in bed, hoping desperately the covers could shield him from the rest of the earth. After last evening's interrogation, Gru had to stay in the headquarters to prepare a lot of today's work, ending in him staggering into the house at two 'o-clock in the morning.

"Come on, Gru." Lucy sang, lightly shaking her husband's tired body. He continued to toss himself around under the blanket, looking a lot like a sulking child in the way he did so. Lucy was finding him unexpectedly cute. "We have a big day, today."

"Ugh...don't remind me." Gru responded spiritlessly, finally giving in and sitting up. "I theenk today ees de day I'm finally gonna lose my nut."

"Why's that?" Lucy asked. Gru perked his head up and looked into his wife's questioning expression, giving her a small glare. Since he'd gotten in so late, he didn't have the chance to tell his wife about last evening's events. Right now, she was entirely clueless about the looming dangerous situation.

"We may have a small problem." Gru stated, moving to sit on the edge of his mattress. "And by may, I mean we _definitely_ have a small problem. And by small, I mean we _definitely_ have a _very big_ problem."

"Well...what's going on?" Lucy inquired, her face transitioning to worry. "What happened last night?"

"I eenterogated dat guy who broke eento de headquarters and...well..." Gru began, turning his head away. There was a lot to explain, and considering his mind was hovering over the edge of functionality, it would be difficult to get through it all. "Remember dat Venin guy Nigel told us about a few days ago, when he was steel alive."

"Uh...is that the masked guy?" Lucy asked.

"Dat's heem!" Gru exclaimed. "Eet turns out dat he's been useeng a mind-control ray to gather a band of mindless asseestants, all of wheech are being held een some hideout somewhere. De man who broke een last night was one of dese asseestants, who had been eenstructed to do so by Venin. He told me dat he's been planeeng some massive attack on de US, but he said he wasn't exactly sure what eet eenvolved. Supposedly, accordeeng to de man's claims, he wants to take over as president."

Lucy simply stood there, staring at her husband with a wide-eyed, shocked expression. The wave of information hit her like a tsunami, which her brain was struggling to fight against. In all her days of being an AVL agent, she had stumbled across her fair share of wackos, all trying to do ridiculous things to gain power or notoriety. But using a mind-control ray to get a group of assistants who will aid in taking over as president of the US? That one was new to her.

"Um..." She mumbled after a whole ten seconds of stunned silence. "That certainly sounds...very bad. _Definitely_ very bad."

"I'm gonna have to brief de agents." Gru said, turning his head away in thought. "We may need de entire AVL to combat against dis threat."

"Well, I'm in." Lucy said, punching the air a little. Even though this situation could end badly, and even though her and her family's lives could be put at risk, her insistent determination didn't die down in the slightest. "I'll go wake the girls, you make breakfast, and then, we'll both head out and stop this masked-idiot."

Gru was still innerly worried, what with the blur of details and the shadow of impending doom, but his wife's confidence never ceased to rub off on him. He nodded and stood up from the bed, starting towards the door with a readied smirk, Lucy following on just behind. Just as they emerged from the bedroom, Jack emerged from the bathroom, walking with the slowest of trudges and carrying the surliest of frowns.

"Jack?" Lucy asked, electing the teenager's attention. "You're looking a little rough."

"Oh...thanks for that, Lucy." Jack replied sarcastically. His tone was predominantly playful, but inside, he was still frothing with anger. As he gave the couple a fake joking smirk, Gru narrowed his eyes and drew concern across his face, investigating the boy's flushed expression.

"Why are your eyes so red?" He asked. Jack immediately turned his head, closing his eyelids to hide the slightly incriminating facial detail.

"They're not!" He exclaimed defensively. "I'm just...tired."

Without another word, he dashed down the hallway towards the stairs, just trying to get away from the couple and their questioning. Gru and Lucy gave each other a befuddled expression, the both of them a little worried by his reaction. Jack was trying to play it off, but it wasn't going to be successful against the two of them. They _were_ parents to three young adopted girls, all of whom had been through their fair share of rough times, so...

...they knew exactly when someone had been crying.

* * *

Edith and Charlie were strolling aimlessly down the street, walking and talking. Again, Charlie had come to call for her, and since Jack had gone out again, she had nothing else to do but accept it. She was actually starting to somewhat enjoy his company, especially since they shared a huge obsession with Unseen Hunter, and since she was better than him at most things.

"...and I was like, 'you mean that one-eyed, scar-faced man that _everybody_ laughed at'." Edith said, shaking her head at the not-so-distant memory of the so-called 'magical' forest. "And then we heard some rustling in the bushes, so we stood up and had a look. Some goat jumped out, and then, of course, Agnes thought it was an actual unicorn, even though it so clearly wasn't."

"Pfft...unicorns." Charlie said, rolling his eyes. "They're so stupid. It's so obvious they don't actually exist."

"I know right!" Edith replied. Charlie smiled victoriously. He had got pretty good at saying the right thing to agree with her, even though maybe he didn't. He actually didn't think unicorns were stupid at all, he just said it to make Edith like him more. He didn't exactly _like_ unicorns, but he didn't hate them like Edith did. "So now, we have this stupid one-horned goat sitting around the house, even though Agnes knows it's not a unicorn. I don't know what's worse, the fact that she's so attached to it, or the fact that she decided to call it 'Lucky'."

"What a rubbish name." Charlie stated. "If I had a pet goat, I'd call it 'Devil' or 'Samurai' or something."

"Yeah, me too!" Edith responded. "If Agnes had called it that, I probably wouldn't mind it being around the house."

Charlie smiled again, for the exact same reason as he did before. The two continued to walk and talk, absentmindedly turning into the town park as they did so, showing just how aimless their strolling was.

"I've been meaning to ask you, Charlie." Edith started, turning her head away a little in thought. "Why _did_ you stutter so much when you first met me? I know it's 'cuz I'm so cool, but...you seem worried a lot. What's that all about?"

"Oh...well," Charlie began, shifting uncomfortably as he walked. "Whenever I'm around a lot of people...I just get very scared of them, which makes me stutter for some reason. I try and stop but...I dunno, I just can't. I bet it sounds stupid. I mean, you're _never_ scared."

And with that, Edith also turned away uncomfortably. She wasn't going to correct him, but what he didn't realize, was just how that wrong that last statement was. Even though she would always try and hide it, she did get scared quite often. When she was at the orphanage, every day came another source of fear, whether it be about never getting adopted or just simply no-one ever loving her. Now, she would always get scared of being put back into the orphanage, having an extremely rough nightmare, or something bad happening to her, her sisters or her brother.

She didn't share Charlie's trait of being scared in front of people, since she was quite a confident person in front of others, but she did still get afraid and did understand the embarrassment of being frightened. The person who never got afraid, however, was Jack. Since meeting him, Edith had never seen him scared or intimidated. He always seemed determined and confident, no matter what the situation, something she was insanely jealous of.

"It doesn't sound stupid." Edith reassured, shrugging.

"Really?" Charlie quizzed in surprise, halting in his tracks and inching his head back in slight shock.

"Yeah." Edith replied, coming to a stop with him. "Makes sense to me, I guess."

Charlie could hardly believe his ears. He'd always considered his fear in front of people as completely irrational, but to be told otherwise was extremely comforting. Edith was very quickly becoming one of his most favorite people ever, especially now that she seemed to like him back. As he got himself lost in satisfying thoughts, Edith turned her head and spied something to her right, smiling excitedly as she twisted her whole body to face it.

"Woah! Look!" She exclaimed, pointing her finger forward, pulling Charlie out of his engrossing trance to look in her direction. "There's a fight!"

Charlie followed her finger, where he saw two teenage boys scrapping, throwing bad punches and pushing each other as a group of boys crowded around them and chanted. You could just about see the fight through the gaps between the small crowd, so Edith and Charlie stood from afar to watch, the former bouncing giddily on the spot as she did so.

As the fight went on, Charlie caught a glimpse of something that gathered his attention, making him cock his head a little. Not too far away from them, a tall teenage boy with brown-hair was kissing an extremely attractive blonde teenage girl, the two of them presumably intertwined in a relationship. Charlie watched in interest, glancing at Edith after a few seconds of analyzing. She was still intently watching the fight with a beaming smile, continuing to bounce on the spot. Charlie mirrored the smile as his next thought faded into existence.

 _'Now that we like each other, can I kiss her?'_

The answer to that question seemed obvious in his head. Of course he could! Why couldn't he? Charlie's seemingly obvious crush on Edith had developed the very first time he'd met her, and considering the way in which she was being so friendly to him now, she surely must think the same. Before a disapproving thought passed through his head, he leaned in to try and kiss her on the cheek.

Thankfully, Edith turned her head in time to catch him in the act. As he inched closer, the tomboy moved her head back and watched him in confusion, twisting her expression inquisitively. What on earth was he doing? At first, the bewilderment wouldn't allow her to react, meaning she simply stood there with wide-eyes for a few seconds. But eventually, a deeply aggressive frown appeared on her face, and Charlie's head replaced itself with the punching bag in Helen's back garden.

Soon, Charlie fell to the floor with a broken nose, as Edith's clenched fist lowered itself back down to her side...

* * *

Gru made that familiar walk across the light-blue illuminated floor of the main hall within the AVL headquarters, his eyes narrowed dauntingly. He strutted up onto the large podium, glaring as every agent fearfully watched him in trepidation. Lucy gave him a small wave, one of which he was reluctantly forced to ignore in order to keep up his intimidating presence. Once ensuring that he was standing dead-center within the room, he lifted his head authoritatively and spoke with a demanding voice.

"Agents, eef my theory ees correct, we could be faceeng one of de biggest problems de world has ever seen!" He said. "Yesterday, a man by de name of Daniel Flint broke eento de AVL headquarters weeth murderous eententions, and through de use of eenterogation, we found out dat de villain Venin, who was de one who sent heem here, ees tryeeng to take over as president of de United States!"

A huge chorus of gasps surrounded the room, every agent turning to each other and mumbling in panic. As the volume of incomprehensible chatter increased above an irritating level, Gru took in a deep breath and screamed angrily at the top of his lungs, quickly frightening the agents into a fearful mess.

"HEY!" He bellowed. "Dis ees not de time to have a leetle mother's meeteeng! De entire world could be at stake here, especially eef Venin's plan succeeds, so de pressure weel be put on us to ensure eet's safety! All of your traineeng weel be required to complete dis next mission! Weeth Daniel Flint's help, we have tracked down de location of Venin's hideout een de city! We are goeeng to storm de buildeeng, arrest Venin and his associates, and ensure his plan weel _not_ come to fruition! Does everyone understand!?"

The crowd of agents promptly nodded in unison, standing up and making their way for the exits. Gru scampered off stage to meet up with Lucy, who gave him a concerned look, one of which was confusing the AVL director.

"I've never seen you shout that loud before." She said, lowering her head a little. "Are you...feeling okay?"

"Not really, Lucy." Gru replied, shaking his head as he started up the steps for the exit, Lucy shuffling on behind. "Venin could be tryeeng to destroy de entire world, and I'm de man who ees een charge of stopeeng heem. Believe eet or not, dat does put a slight beet of pressure on yoo."

"Oh...I guess...that makes sense." Lucy responded, turning her head away a little as she desperately attempted to keep up with her husband. When she asked him if he was feeling okay, she wasn't referring to just today. She was primarily talking about the past few days, where he seemed predominantly stressed. Even if they succeed in stopping Venin, Lucy couldn't help but think another villain would come along and stress him out again. And the thing that was concerning her was...

Just how unhealthy all that stress was...

* * *

A quiet street in the middle of the city was flooded with the light of the noon sun. People were minding their own businesses as they casually strolled along the sidewalk, most of them were on their lunch-break while others were simply walking with no clear destination. A few were pushing prams, others were reading the latest newspaper, while others were chatting on their phones. In general, the street was like that of any other in the city, peaceful and completely normal.

That was until an extremely loud whirring sound came from above, making everyone arch their heads up to look into the clouds. A fairly large aircraft, which had the letters 'AVL' printed upon the sides, slowly descended towards the street. Cars quickly reversed and pedestrians swiftly sprinted as the aircraft landed on the road, the doors opening up to reveal a tidal-wave of agents.

Gru and Lucy were the first to step out, walking forward and analyzing their surroundings as another hundred or so agents emptied onto the street. They scanned their gazes across the row of different buildings in front of them, Gru coming to a stop and pointing at one once recognizing the description.

"Dat one!" He exclaimed. "Eef Daniel was telleeng de truth, dat one ees Venin's hideout!"

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Lucy asked, darting forward towards the building. Gru smiled proudly at his wife's determination, following on and ushering the agent's to do the same a moment later.

The two practically booted down the door of the cheap law-firm, emerging into an empty well-lit room, the walls painted with an almost blinding shade of white. Considering the furnishing consisted of a few sofas, some nice flowers, and a single desk, this had to be Venin's reception. The agents piled in soon after, each one investigating the walls and decoration, attempting to gather as many pointless details as possible.

Gru strolled through the room, switching his gaze around in search of either Venin or any of his associates. But, by simply glancing into the room, you could tell the reception was completely empty. Flashbacks of the IVB mission popped into his mind, as that same confusion regarding the eerie silence and lack of entities reappeared.

"Let's try dat room." Gru proposed, pointing towards a nearby door. There were only two doors in the whole room, so there was a 50/50 chance he could stumble across something incriminating. Well, he _hoped_ those chances were correct, for there was still a possibility that this building was the wrong one.

Gru and Lucy started for the door and opened it up, being met by a massive room containing a huge roundtable, a projector and multiple other pieces of different furniture and appliances. They intently scanned the room for signs of anyone, frustrated when they could spy not a single other person inside. They both huffed in anger, Gru turning to his wife and partner with an expression of irritation.

"I guess we should try de-" Before he could finish, a man in a black suit jumped from the left and tackled Gru across the room, sending him sprawling across the ground. Before the man could turn and do the same to Lucy, the red-head sent a flying kick to the back of his cranium, making him fall to the ground in a heap.

He growled under his breath as he slowly got back up, practically shaking in anger. He turned around to face the female AVL agent, wearing the darkest and most threatening of frowns, not expecting to feel an extremely strong electric shock hit his arm.

"Lipstick taser!" She bellowed, as the man buzzed and jerked uncontrollably. After a few seconds of torture, the man fell and hit his head on the side of the table, sending him to the floor in an extreme bout of pain. Lucy smirked proudly as she spied her taser victim on the ground, happy to see another fight go her way.

"Nice one, Lucy!" Gru exclaimed cheerfully, getting back to his feet as he felt his back pound in agony. The pain brought back another reminder, this time replaying the moment when Jack threw him into the lab wall and then down onto a seat, where he told him all about his suicide plan. Another uncomfortably dark memory, of which he wanted to forget entirely. "Where was I before I found yoo?"

"You know, sometimes I think the same thing..." Lucy responded, smirking playfully as she placed the lipstick back into her pocket. "How did you even survive without me?"

Gru chuckled at his wife's comment, one of which she returned. Lucy had missed their playful banter while he had been working on the Nigel case without her, so she was glad to have it back. As they continued to laugh, a small groan pulled them back into reality, the two switching their gazes and narrowing their eyes dangerously to the suited man on the floor.

The bodyguard slowly shuffled over until he was lying on his back, where he gave the two a helpless look. Gru quickly reached into his jacket and took out the freeze ray, pointing it at him immediately. The bodyguard yelped and covered his head, whimpering as he shook in fear.

"No! Please! Don't shoot!" He pleaded. "I...I can explain!"

Gru narrowed his eyes in confusion, watching as the man seemed as feeble and panicked as Daniel did after he emerged from consciousness. He lowered the gun and strutted up to him, holding his hand out to lift him back on his feet. The bodyguard reluctantly grabbed onto his hand, as the AVL director pulled him off the ground.

"Gru!? What are you doing!?" Lucy shouted. "That man just tried to hurt you! Freeze him already!"

"No, Lucy." Gru said softly, turning back to the bodyguard. "Let me guess, Venin keednapped yoo and made yoo eento one of his bodyguards by takeeng over your mind weeth a mind-control ray."

"Uh, yeah." The bodyguard responded swiftly. "How...how did you know?"

"I'm a psychic." Gru replied sardonically. He quickly turned back to his wife, who still looked a mix of angry and stunned, and reassured her. "Dis ees one of de men Venin used de mind-control ray on, so dat he would be forced to work weeth heem."

"Then why are we not arresting him?" Lucy asked quicky. "He could be dangerous!"

"He _was_ dangerous," Gru responded. "But...eet seems dat eef yoo knock dem unconscious weeth a big enough blow to de head, de effects of de mind-control ray wear off. De same theeng happened to dat bodyguard who broke eento de headquarters yesterday. After I hit heem across de head, de mind warp was undone."

"Oh." Lucy said, her confusion fading. He gave the former bodyguard a strange look, as he returned one of flustered panic, and motioned her hand in his direction. "So...he's safe?"

"Not only ees he safe," Gru confirmed, nodding. "But he could be of help to us."

The AVL director moved back over to the bodyguard, who still seemed incredibly afraid and confused, and got on his tip-toes to place a relaxing hand upon his shoulder.

"What's your name?" He asked. The bodyguard shifted uncomfortably, turning his head away a little, before responding timidly, exactly opposite to his strong figure.

"Uh...Dylan." He informed. "Dylan Hart."

"Well den, Dylan..." Gru began, motioning towards the exit door. "Come weeth me. I have a job for yoo..."

* * *

That evening, Gru, Lucy, Edith, Agnes and Venin's former bodyguards were stood in the downstairs hallway, the two young girls arching their heads up to inspect the large henchmen. They tried hard to ignore the burrowing glares of the children, but considering how uncomfortable it was making them feel, it was practically impossible.

"So...you're like slaves?" Edith asked. Dylan and Daniel scoffed, looking down at the small pink figure with a frown.

"No! We were...assistants." Daniel stated defensively.

"Just sounds like a fancy word for slaves." Edith responded irritatingly, making the two bodyguards sigh in exasperation.

"Are you _our_ slaves now?" Agnes asked, lifting her head up in hope. The two of them frowned deeper, barely resisting the urge to slap their forehead.

"No, we're not-"

"Cool!" Edith cooed. "Go get me a chocolate bar, slave!"

"Edith!" Gru snapped. "Stop pestereeng our guest!"

"I'm not!" Edith responded, crossing her arms in a sulk. "I was just having a conversation!"

"Ugh...can't yoo go off play and somewhere else?" Gru asked, holding the bridge of his nose.

"Aww, but I wanna stay and watch you talk with the slaves!" Agnes moaned, pulling a sad expression coupled with a puppy-dog stare. Gru sighed and turned away, discontinuing the argument that he was bound to lose.

"Anyway," Gru said, gathering Daniel and Dylan's attention. "Seence Venin ees planneeng sometheeng big, I'm a leetle worried about de safety of my family. So, do yoo theenk yoo could hang around de house and protect dem, just een case sometheeng happens?"

"You want us to be bodyguards again!?" Dylan questioned in shock.

"Gru...we just got away from Venin," Daniel stated, crossing his arms with ire. "Do you seriously think we wanna work as bodyguards again!?"

"Yes. Because dis time, yoo won't be workeeng for free." Gru said, reaching into his back pocket. He brought out his checkbook and wrote upon two separate cheques, scribbling the same figure on the both of them. "I'm sure dis weel suffice."

The two of them widened their eyes in shock as they read the five-figure number written on their cheques. They spluttered a little, chocking on their own tongue, before looking up to Gru as if to ask 'are you being serious'. By the way in which Gru was grinning, it was clear he wasn't joking around.

"We should only need yoo for about a week," Gru stated, shoving the checkbook back into his pocket. "But, eef we require yoo for any longer, I promise I weel pay yoo for de overtime accordingly. Do we have a deal?"

Gru extended his arm out for a handshake, electing Daniel and Dylan to look down at it with their mouths slightly agape. They looked at each other in complete shock, not needing more than a second to consider the options. They both quickly shook his hand in agreement, slipping the massive amount of money into their trouser pockets. As soon as the handshake concluded, Edith and Agnes leaped into the air with elation, taking this deal in obviously the wrong way.

As they did so, the front door opened to allow Jack an entrance into the house, the teen coming home after another day with Violet. His girlfriend wanted him to stay over again, but on this occasion, he had to refuse. After the events of last night, he was absolutely shattered. As he emerged into the hallway, the sight of two huge brutes, who were at least five or six inches taller than him, made him furrow his brow in confusion.

"Um...who are these guys?" He asked, turning to Gru and Lucy questioningly. Before they could respond, Agnes jumped high into the air, screaming happily at the top of her lungs.

"We have slaves!" She bellowed. Jack gave her one of the most confused looks, turning his head around everyone in the entire room for clarification. Edith was obviously still enraged with him, especially since finding out about his girlfriend, and only offered him the coldest of frowns in return.

"Dese are our new temporary bodyguards." Gru explained, electing Jack to frown in disapproval. "Some bad theengs have been goeeng down, and to ensure our safety, I've enlisted dese guys to protect us from any dangers."

"Did you pay them!?" Jack blurted, narrowing his eyes.

"Uh...yeah." Gru responded, looking to Lucy in confusion.

"Ugh...you didn't need to do that!?" Jack shouted. He gave the bodyguards a quick examination, mostly inspecting the size of their biceps, before turning back to the AVL director with a huff. "I've got about the same size muscles. I would do it for free!"

"Yeah, but when are yoo ever around anymore?" Gru asked, throwing his arms up. That statement sent a slight bit of guilt through Jack's spine, especially when he caught a glimpse of Edith's judging expression in the corner of his eye. Now that he had a girlfriend, the chances are, he would neglect his family by spending all day out with her and coming in extremely late. Did he really want to do that? As he questioned himself in his mind, the sound of the front door bursting open at speed startled him, not expecting to see Margo sprint past him in a flood of tears.

"Margo!?" Gru exclaimed, having to steady himself as she gripped onto him in a colossal hug. She cried her eyes out into his leg, soaking the fabric. "What's de matter, sweetie?"

"He...he...he broke up with me!" She said, struggling to talk as her throat bundled up.

"Wh...what are yoo-" Gru began, being interrupted by his eldest daughter.

"M-My b-boyfriend." She stuttered. "H-He...he left me for this other girl!"

"Boyfriend!?" Gru bellowed. He began to shake in anger, watching as his daughter trembled uncontrollably on his leg. He looked up to Lucy quizzingly, who looked both incredibly solemn and guilty, and then to Jack with the same expression. He bit his upper lip as Gru looked at him, knowing what the next conversation was going to consist of. "Deed yoo know about dis!?"

"Uh...maybe." Jack said. Him and Edith were never any good with lies.

"Why deedn't yoo tell me!?" Gru screamed, his face curling into one of the most insanely angry frowns Jack had seen on him in a while. "Yoo know I would never agree to dis!?"

"God, Gru, she's twelve-years-old!" Jack argued, obviously not being the type to remain silent during a telling off. "If she wants to have a boyfriend, let her! And anyway, I warned her about going out with him, so don't start having a go at me!"

"Ugh...why do yoo have to be so _DIFFICULT_!" Gru bellowed. Jack's previous rebellious frown replaced itself with a deeply hurt expression. He put his head down sadly and turned away, resisting the urge to punch a hole in the wall. That comment brought back an unfriendly reminder, one of which felt like an agonizing tear in his feelings, and looking at Gru for any longer would most likely bring tears to his eyes. Gru kneeled down to look into his daughter's red eyes, trying to calm her down. "Shh, shh, eet's okay. Eet's all gonna be okay. Tell me what happened?"

"Well...me...me and a few friends were around the lake..." She began, sniffing every few words as she wiped her damp eyes with her sleeves. "I was waiting for Chester, my boyfriend. And then...he came with this other blonde girl...and he said...he didn't want to be with me anymore...because I was... _ugly_."

"WHAT!?" Gru and Jack exclaimed in unison, the two looking at each other and then to Lucy, who seemed just as angry with that statement, as she admitted it. When her tears started again, Gru's newfound fatherly instincts took over and pushed his gaze back down to her, knowing exactly what he had to do next.

"Calm down, calm down." He began softly, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Now tell me, deed yoo believe heem?"

"Well...he's right isn't he." She replied, dropping her head sorrowfully, another fresh wave of tears accompanying the reply. Gru had to control the urge to violently shake in anger, enraged with the fact that someone could ever make his little kitten feel like this.

"Margo, don't yoo ever say dat!" He stated, lightly shaking her shoulder so she would raise her head. "Yoo are not ugly, and don't yoo ever theenk otherwise. Dis boy ees just an eediot, especially eef he's willeeng to give up one of de most beautiful gurls on de planet. Eef he's dat stupeed, den he doesn't deserve to walk de same ground as yoo, let alone be your boyfriend."

Margo smiled, sniffing loudly again as the tears slowly eased. She wrapped her arms around Gru's neck, the former villain returning it by wrapping his around her back. She lightly sobbed into his shoulder, making him pet her back in the hopes of deterring the tears entirely.

Suddenly, making everyone in the room jump, the front door slammed closed with a large bang, making the very structure of the house shake with the impact. Everyone turned around to inspect it, noticing that Jack was no longer in the hallway with them, who must've just stormed out of the house. Gru interrupted the hug by standing up, turning his head to look at Lucy, who mirrored the same level of worry he was presenting.

"He's not gonna kill him, is he?" She asked, cocking her head a little. Instead of responding, Gru sighed and rubbed his hands down his forehead, thinking deeply as he stared at the ceiling. He genuinely had no clue as to what Jack was going to do, but considering things he had already done out of complete anger, murder was certainly a possibility. He ran for the door at a flustered pace, Margo deciding to run alongside him, turning back to Lucy just before him and his bespectacled daughter disappeared into the night.

"Look after Edith and Agnes," He said. "We'll only be a few meenutes."

He quickly closed the door behind them, leaving the downstairs hallway surrounded by an atmosphere of stunned silence. A second later, Edith sprinted over and opened the front door again, shouting as she joined them.

"Wait for me!" She exclaimed. There was no way she was missing this, even if she was still infuriated with him. She knew there was a chance that Jack would kill him, and Edith didn't exactly want to watch him murder someone, but considering there was also a chance that the boy who messed with the Gru family would be cowering in fear as her teenage brother loomed over him, she was willing to take the risk...

* * *

Chester and his new girlfriend sat near the lake, the only source of light being the newly built campfire situated in front of them. They were smiling contentedly as they enjoyed each other's company, drinking through another bottle of beer. Considering they were only thirteen-years-old, they were taking this moment as an extremely rebellious act.

"I still feel kinda bad for that girl, Chester." The new girlfriend spoke, turning her head away solemnly. "I mean...you were quite mean to her."

"Pfft...don't worry about her, Brittany." Chester said, shrugging as he took the last gulp from his bottle. "She was a weirdo anyway. Plus, my sister persuaded me to break up with her, so it's not _my_ fault."

"Um...I...I guess not." Brittany responded disingenuously, keeping her head turned away. Then suddenly, as if out of nowhere, an older boy with brown long-hair, who had biceps the size of large rocks, emerged from the darkness to sit beside their campfire, smiling cheerfully. Chester and Brittany were a little startled as he appeared, giving him an extremely questioning look.

"Hey, guys." The boy said, his voice sounding dark, mirroring the night sky. "Having a good night, are we?"

"Who the hell are you?" Brittany asked, moving closer to Chester in the hopes of using him as a shield. The boy grinned evilly as he eyed them up, his gaze being caught by the crate of beers beside him.

"Hmm...you guys are a little young to be drinking alcohol, don't you think?" He said, ignoring the question. He bent down and took one of the bottles, flicking the strong cap off as if it was nothing. "I'd be doing a service by taking them off your hands."

"Hey, man!" Chester snapped angrily, standing up to look down on him. The boy lifted his hand, alerting him to halt, before taking a large gulp of the beer. After doing so, he pointed to his face and spoke lowly, his expression still dominated by his grin.

"Do you remember me?" He asked. Chester looked at him in confusion. What did he mean by that? He couldn't remember seeing anyone like him before. But as his thought process extended, a memory came back into his recollection, making him take a fearful step back. His face suddenly became familiar. The last time he'd seen it, he was with Margo in the mall, and she introduced him as Jack, her brother...

"Look, man. I di-" Chester began, his voice quivering a little in fear. Before he could finish, Jack quickly stood up from his spot to loom over him, tearing him apart with one of the most fierce gazes Chester had ever seen.

"Don't ' _look, man_ ' me." Jack said quietly, yet extremely dangerously. Chester's only response was a timid whimper, as he looked around him for an escape route. Right behind him was the lake, so he could turn back and run, and Jack had such long arms, that if he attempted to sprint to the right or left, he was sure to catch him.

At this point, Gru, Margo, and Edith had caught up with him, and were now watching from a distance as Jack stood over her ex-boyfriend. When she was hanging around with him, Margo thought Chester was a very tall boy, but when Jack was near him, he looked tiny in comparison.

"We'll geeve eet a meenute or two," Gru said, talking to his two daughters, but keeping his eyes fixed on Jack and the boy in the tank top. "But eef he takes out a weapon or anytheeng, I'm goeeng over dere to stop heem."

"As long as I get to watch him throw a punch, I don't care." Edith replied, smiling as she watched her brother clench his fists.

"Margo came home in tears not too long ago," Jack said, gritting his teeth in anger as Chester shook in fright. "You wouldn't know why, would you?"

"Uh..." Chester replied. It was the only word his terrified mind could remember.

"Don't even bother with the excuses." Jack said, taking another threatening step towards him. "I know you broke up with her. No-one ever makes any of my family cry. _EVER!_ "

"Well, what are you gonna do, hit me!?" Chester retorted, a small wave of confidence flooding him. "Cuz you look around seventeen! I'm only thirteen, man! If you hit me, you're gonna get in a lot of trouble!"

"Hmm...good point." Jack responded. Without warning, he thrusted his arms forward quickly, sending Chester crashing backward and into the lake with a large splash. Margo cheered happily, watching as Jack stepped forward and pointed at him as he sat shivering in the murky water. "If Margo tells me you've even looked at her, let alone talk to her, then you will not leave our next encounter with all of your limbs intact! I don't care how old you are, and I don't care how much trouble it would get me in! I am _NOT_ one to mess around with, and if you wanna test that theory, I _DARE_ you to come near my family again!"

Jack stormed away after finishing his sentence, throwing his empty bottle down into the crate as he did so. Once he'd gone, Brittany moved over to look down on Chester, who was sobbing a little as he stood up in his soaking wet attire. He offered her a faint smile, only receiving a shake of the head in response.

"I don't think it's gonna work out, Chester." She replied, strutting away. Chester tried to call out to her, but as his throat tightened up from the previous fear, a small whimper was all that came out. As he tried to climb back onto the grass, he slipped and fell back down into the ice cold water, making him sob a little more in embarrassment.

Jack proudly staggered away, his gaze being caught by his elated eldest sister, enraged biological sister and frustrated new father. He grinned as he moved over to them, giving Margo a wink as she bounced on the spot happily. Before he could say anything, she jumped over and hugged into his waist, catching him off guard completely. He chuckled and put her arms around her back, hugging her in return.

"Next time, listen to me when I call someone a tool, okay." He said. Margo nodded, letting go and giving her older brother the widest of smiles.

"Thanks for that, Jack." She spoke.

"Anytime." Jack replied, shrugging. He looked over to Gru, who was frowning a little, and returned a very similar expression. "What?"

"Notheeng." Gru responded, his expression not changing in the slightest. "Well done on not killeeng heem."

"Hmph...what do you take me for?" Jack inquired dryly. Before another word could be said, Jack's mobile phone vibrated in his trouser pocket, instructing him to reach down and fish it out. The caller ID read 'Violet', making him smile and walk forward, trying to get away from his family before answering it. "Hey, Violet. How's it going?"

"Jack!" Violet exclaimed angrily down the receiver. "You need to get over to my place _now_!"

"Woah, woah, calm down." Jack replied softly, curling his expression. "What's going on?"

"I'll tell you when you get here!" Violet snapped bluntly. Without another word, she hung the phone up, leaving Jack to stand there in a mix of confusion and fear. She sounded _beyond_ angry with him. What had he done wrong? Was she mad at him for not going over tonight? Was he not being a good enough boyfriend?

There was only one way to get the answer...

* * *

Jack strolled down the sidewalk of his street, making his way over to his girlfriend's house. The entire way there, Jack had been going over every possible explanation in his mind, and right now, he hadn't a clue as to why she sounded so angry. Was it even about him? Maybe she just wanted her boyfriend to comfort her in a bad situation. Something inside was telling him that his theory was probably incorrect.

As Violet's front door came into view, the sight of his cross-armed girlfriend, who wore an expression of pure anger, took over his vision as she stood in front of the house. He'd never seen her angry before, so this was certainly a new experience. Not a particularly nice experience, however.

"Um...hey." Jack greeted wearily as he approached her. She didn't bother responding. "So...what's the matter?"

"I'll tell you what the matter is! We've just come home from the hospital and..." She blurted, interrupting herself at the last moment. With a scowl, she turned around and opened the door, calling into the house as Jack stood and watched her in befuddlement. "Charlie!"

A few seconds later, Violet's younger brother trudged onto the front step, his nose covered with a bloodied bandage. Jack cocked his head in confusion as he came into sight, switching his gaze between the both of them inquisitively.

"What...what happened?" He asked.

"Take a guess!" Violet exclaimed, crossing her arms again. By the way in which she was shaking in ire, you would think she was about to erupt. "I mean, it shouldn't be too hard for you to guess, considering how similar the two of you are!"

As those words left her mouth, the answer to the entire situation hit Jack like a bullet. He had warned of this very possibility while they sat atop Hunchback mountain, so to him, this wasn't an insane surprise. However, by the look of total rage drawn across his girlfriend's face, something told him this encounter wasn't going to end very well.

"Oh, god." He said, rubbing his irritated forehead. "She didn't, did she?"

"Uh-huh!" Violet bellowed. She moved her arms to point at her brother, placing the attention upon the blood surrounding Charlie's bandage. "I mean, look at him! His nose is broken! Your little sister did that!"

Jack probably should've responded with an apology on her behalf at this point, but as he spied the dried blood and large bandage, he couldn't help but feel pride. His little sister _did_ do that! She was probably the coolest little sister you could ever ask for. As that thought crossed his mind, Jack's mouth subconsciously curled into a smile, something he would immediately regret.

"Think this is funny do you!?" She shouted angrily, snapping Jack out of his thoughts. He simply stood there, glaring at her with a look of helplessness, showing he didn't have a clue on how to respond. Violet sighed aggressively, scowling under her breath before continuing. "You know, if I had a little sister who did things like this, I'd be pretty embarrassed!"

"What did you say?" Jack asked quickly. His expression changed into an angry glare extremely fast, possibly the quickest mood change Violet had ever seen.

"You heard me!" She responded, not allowing his aggression to intimidate her in the slightest. Jack turned his head to look at Charlie, an audible growl emitting from his voicebox, taking a moment before looking back and responding.

"Well, if I had a little brother who could barely take a punch from a nine-year-old girl, I'd want to disown him!" He exclaimed. Violet's mouth fell open slightly, her crossed arms unlocking, clearly taking an extreme amount of offense from his response. After a second of silence, Violet frowned strongly again and continued the argument.

"Why are you acting as if this is _my_ fault!?" She inquired bitterly.

"Because it is now!" Jack shouted. "Don't you ever, _EVER_ , call my little sister an embarrassment! She's absolutely perfect in my eyes, and if you ever say anything different to that again, I swear to god, I will make things difficult for you and your family!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Violet asked. This time, her voice contained more unease than it did anger.

"You think you know me, Violet, but you _really_ don't!" Jack stated indignantly. "I've done a lot of bad things, and I've hurt a lot of innocent people. If you know what's best for you, you will never ever talk grave of my family again, and I am in no way kidding around!"

In a complete state of panic for her family, Violet pushed Charlie inside and moved to the front door, almost tripping over her own feet in worry. Just before she closed the door behind him, she added one last comment, one that cut through Jack's heart like a knife.

"I was right, it _was_ too soon!" She boomed. "It's over, Jack!"

And with that, the door slammed shut like a hammer pounding on Jack's feelings. For a few seconds, he simply stood there in sorrow, with his head firmly locked down as he stared at the floor. He just made threats to someone else's family. He never did that. Ever since losing his sister, he always told himself he would never harm another person's family. But right there, when he realized someone was talking ill of the best person in the world to him, he threatened to do just that.

Then, another feeling swept over him, taking all control of his emotions. Unrelenting anger. And for the first time in his life, it was centered around Edith. She meant so much to him, so much so, that he thought he could never get sincerely angry with her. But right now, for the first time ever, the thought of Edith was bringing him bad feelings, not good ones.

He growled as he rolled up his sleeve and checked his digital watch. It was quite late now, so chances are, she would be in bed. But tomorrow morning, Edith was going to know what she'd done wrong, and he was going to show her just how angry he was because of it. He turned around and stormed down the sidewalk, making his way back to his house. Something deep inside his mind was telling him...

...that tomorrow was going to be a bad day.

* * *

That next day, Venin, Dru, and Fiona marched towards the white-house, the entire US army stomping on behind them. Just as they approached the gates, Venin turned around and grabbed his loudspeaker, talking so that his new band of workers would hear him.

"Alright, then!" He bellowed. "Everything has fallen perfectly into place, and now, the only thing I need to complete my scheme is the role of presidency. I trust you have brought your weapons."

Everyone took out their carbine rifles and held them in their grasps, their fingers planted on the trigger in preparation. Venin smirked and nodded his head, looking at Fiona and giving her a wink. The middle-aged woman gave him a look of disgust, turning away with a scowl as she eyed up the entire army in front of her. Dru timidly tapped on the masked villain's shoulders, electing him to turn around and humor him.

"Uh...Venin," He began. "Dose guns look...real. _Are_ dey real rifles?"

"Mm-hmm." Venin responded, grinning as he inspected the blonde villain's shocked reaction. "They shoot 7.62mm bullets with a fire-rate higher than that of any other rifle type."

"Wait..." Dru said, taking a step back. "Yoo're gonna _kill_ de president?"

"Not just the president, Dru." Venin replied. His smirk grew incredibly evil, the curl of his smile sending an extremely uncomfortable spark of panic through Dru's heart, making it skip a beat. "We're gonna kill _everyone_!"

Before Dru could react, a bodyguard appeared from behind him and smashed his head with a blunt club, knocking the blonde to the ground in a heap. Venin cackled devilishly, as Fiona walked over and grinned at the sight of Dru's motionless body, happy to see the idiot put in his place.

"So, are we starting your real plan yet?" She asked, turning to the masked villain.

"Soon." He said, nodding dangerously. "Once we have the white house, the scheme will move on to the real end objective."

"I can't wait!" Fiona exclaimed, punching her palm in excitement. Just before Venin began the charge, he turned and pointed at a group of five random soldiers, electing them to anxiously strut over to him.

"Unfortunately for you five, you will not be joining us in taking over the white house." He said, making the soldiers sulk unhappily. "But, you _will_ be involved in a very special mission."

He motioned his hands towards one of his bodyguards, who quickly shuffled his hand into his pocket and fished out a small piece of paper. Venin inspected it, ensuring it was the one he wanted, before handing it to one of the five soldiers.

"Upon that paper, is the address of a certain location I want you to go to." He explained. "I need you to go there and...collect...a few things for me."

The soldiers saluted, a hint of disappointment still lingering as they moved down the street and began towards the location written on the paper. As they did so, Fiona twisted her expression and moved towards Venin, giving him a questioning look as she quizzed him.

"Out of curiosity, where are they going?" She asked. Venin slowly turned to face her, his expression still dominated by the most devious of grins, shrugging and responding as he did so.

"It won't mean anything to you, but if you must know, they're going to..." He began, glancing to his left as the bodyguard heaved Dru onto his shoulders, walking off promptly with his body.

"...the Gru residence."

* * *

 _*pant* Jeez, that one was tiring._

 _I wrote all of this chapter in one eight-hour sitting to get this out today, so a review would be SERIOUSLY appreciated. Thanks to those who have got this far. We must be approaching 85k words at this point, so if you have read everything up to this point, you are AWESOME!_

 _Will return soon._


	11. This is Goodbye

_And I return._

 _Apologies for taking a while. This chapter went through a lot of twists and turns, including a few rewrites here and there, and so it required a little extra time._

 _Thanks to the guest who reviewed the last chapter. Glad you're enjoying it :)_

 _Let's go..._

* * *

 **Chapter Eleven -  
** _ **This is Goodbye**_

The president's office within the white-house was battered and bruised. Bullet-holes penetrated the walls and surfaces, pools of blood covered the floor, and the smell of burning lead filled the air. Venin sat behind the former president's desk, his feet up on the table as he smoked yet another victory cigar. The mission was almost complete.

Fiona stood behind him, her back turned away as she stared out of the window, scanning her gaze across the world outside. The white house's huge front garden was very much like that of the office, destroyed beyond recognition. The president's bodyguards didn't last a second against the mind-controlled US army, proving the seemingly arduous mission as a walk in the park. Now, there was only one question on her mind.

"Well...that was fun." Fiona announced, turning around to her masked partner. "But now, I think you owe me an explanation. What's your real plan?"

"I'll tell you on the way to our next destination." Venin replied, not turning around to face her. "But before we leave, I want to check something."

Venin planted his feet back on the floor as he peeked below the table. There was a single drawer sitting beneath, a firm lock indicating that it most likely hid something very incriminating. He pulled at the handle, attempting to shake the lock off, but alas, it was too strong. The key could be literally anywhere within the huge building, so aimlessly searching for it could waste hours of crucial time.

"Give me your gun!" Venin demanded curtly, making a nearby soldier cower and weakly hand over his rifle. The masked villain snatched the weapon out of his hands and moved to stand directly behind the table, spraying a multitude of bullets at the aforementioned drawer, smashing the wood to pieces. A few off-target bullets went flying dangerously across the room, narrowly missing a soldier, who only just managed to leap away and dodge it.

Once the drawer had been destroyed, Venin moved forward and inspected the contents, spying a black notepad labeled 'confidential'. He smirked and picked the item up, swiftly scanning through the pages inside. Eventually, after a few seconds, Venin stopped and smirked demonically, implanting his gaze upon an eight-digit code.

"What are you doing?" Fiona asked sternly, furrowing her brow at him. Venin carried his evil grin over to the middle-aged woman, who continued to glare questioningly. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't hold back a small satanic cackle, the excitement building up inside his mind.

"Finding a little something that we'll require." He replied. He moved over and turned the notepad into Fiona's view, where she spied a page littered with multiple codes. Venin moved his finger until it was upon one of them, tapping it promptly to gather her attention. "See this code?"

"Uh...yeah." She responded.

"Well, once we have arrived at our next destination," Venin began, placing the notepad into his jumper pocket as he turned to look out of the window. "That code will provide access to an arsenal of devastating weapons."

"Devastating weapons?" Fiona inquired as she watched him inquisitively. "What devastating weapons?"

Venin's smirk grew wider as he moved his line of sight across a multitude of nearby buildings. The surrounding city seemed mostly peaceful and quiet, especially since it was still early in the morning, with the calming sounds of chirping birds and the occasional abrupt honks of cars. People were most likely just getting out of bed, ready to start another tediously regular day. Soon...

...every single one of them would be dead.

"Ever heard of _nuclear bombs_?"

* * *

Gru strolled tiredly through the downstairs hallway, making his way towards the living room, where the newly hired bodyguards had stayed the night. Today, he knew a lot of crazy events were sure to unfold, and a lot of work and missions were sure to accompany them. Hopefully, by the time he returns home for dinner this evening, Venin would be stewing inside his underwater prison cell, dearly regretting his malicious acts.

He opened the living room door and spied the comotosed hench bodies of Daniel and Dylan, who were enjoying their first peaceful night of sleep in five whole years. He moved over and shook them awake, receiving irritated groans and muffled curse words as a response. They sat up and glared at Gru in confusion, clearly forgetting their new obligation to the family.

"Ready for your furst day of work?" Gru questioned. The two sighed in frustration.

"Are we not counting the thousand-or-so days where we worked for Venin?" Dylan asked indignantly.

"No, we're not," Gru replied. "Because dis time, yoo can actually use your brains."

"Hmph...good point." Dylan mumbled. Obviously, another day of tedious work after just escaping some masked villain's hideout didn't sound particularly exciting. Gru understood that, but considering that his family's safety could be put at risk, he didn't really care.

"What do we have to do?" Daniel asked.

"Seemple really." Gru replied. "Keep a lookout for anyone suspicious approacheeng de house. Eef anyone attempts to break een, use dose massive arms of yours to stop dem. Also, make sure none of de gurls or Jack leave de house today. Margo and Edith have been runneeng off a lot lately, so try and keep dem safe eenside de house."

For Margo, Gru's reasoning for keeping her inside went beyond that of just Venin. Outside, there was also the ever-present threat of idiotic boys, who would try to steal and then break his little kitten's heart. Even though he knew his eldest daughter was a very smart girl, who would definitely grow up and change the world in some way, he also knew that she would still accept the offer of another relationship, no matter how many times they ended in heartbreak.

"We don't have to... _entertain_ them do we?" Dylan quizzed. By the way his face dropped in worry, you'd think he was fearing for the safety of his entire life.

"No, Jack's got yoo covered dere." Gru replied. He understood their panicked state, considering Edith's idea of a game with them would most likely involve using them as slaves. "All yoo gotta do, ees keep an eye out for anyone threateneeng. Eet really eesn't dat hard."

"If you say so." Daniel said, shrugging. Gru nodded promptly before turning around to leave for the kitchen. Today was going to be an increasingly difficult day, which would not be made any easier without the assistance of strong coffee.

He paced through the hallway and into the kitchen, where he found Jack sitting deadly still at the table, his face controlled by a colossal aggressive expression as he stared forward blankly. The teen didn't even bother to acknowledge Gru's presence as he thundered into the room, even with the burrowing gaze he was receiving to the side of his head.

"Um...yoo okay, Jack?" Gru questioned. For a second, Jack remained eerily silent, his eyes remaining as empty as the depths of space. The last time Gru had seen such an angry frown upon his face, the former IVB agent believed Edith was being used as an object in a greedy villain's plan. Considering that was no longer the case, there must've been something incredibly infuriating on his mind. Finally, he turned his head and stared at Gru, his gaze acting like that of a flamethrower in the way it shot a wave of fiery anger.

"Not really, Gru." He muttered through gritted teeth. He thought his anger towards Edith would soften after he slept on it, but after an onslaught of frightening nightmares that continued to haunt his fragile mind, it only seemed to grow more present and dangerous. "In fact, I'm _far_ from okay."

"Oh." Gru replied wearily. He slowly moved over to the coffee pot, ensuring a small distance was kept between him and Jack, before lightly questioning him. "What ees de matter den?"

"It's none of your business." Jack stated coldly, looking down at the table. He was in no mood for general conversation. The only conversation he wanted to partake in, was an extremely heated one with Edith, who was the only person on his mind at the moment.

Because of her, he'd lost his very first girlfriend, a person besides from his family that he was actually beginning to connect with. She'd also been messing around with his already frayed nerves by being so frustratingly annoying as of late. Every time he tried to converse with her, she would find another ridiculous reason to be angry with him, either about some stupid theme park or some childish cartoon.

This time, Gru decided to keep quiet. He may have only known him for two months, but in that time, he'd learned that Jack was an incredibly stubborn person when it came to anger. He would never explain why he was angry, or allow anyone to help him with it. He would either bottle it up to release on someone undeserving, or go to his bedroom and lift his heavy weights until it was gone.

After filling his mug with coffee, he lifted his head and eyed Jack as he sat at the table. Going over and sitting beside him seemed like an awful idea, considering he seemed extra fragile today. So, he elected to sit upon one of the minion's stools, finding it difficult to balance upon the tiny seat.

"Um...yoo're not planneeng on leaveeng de house today, are yoo?" He asked timidly. With that question, Jack growled quietly in rage. Clearly, for whatever reason, that question seemed to dig within a sore spot.

"No." He stated bluntly, shaking with violent ire as he clenched his fists.

"Okay...good." Gru replied carefully, nodding his head as he turned away. "Cuz dere's a really dangerous villain goeeng around...and I don't want anyone getteeng hurt."

"Pfft...I dare them to try something against me." Jack spoke, rolling his eyes. "In the mood I'm in, I'll smash their skull against the pavement until they start crying and begging for forgiveness."

Gru subconsciously found himself inching backward. Over the past two months, where Jack had slowly molded himself back into society, Gru had learned to feel entirely safe around him, knowing full well that he would never cause him or his family any harm. But now, that same seemingly long-lost fear reappeared. That same fear that he felt when Jack threatened to gouge his eyes out, or splatter his brains across the wall, or orphan Edith by killing him and the rest of his family. Definitely memories he thought he'd got past.

He hadn't a clue on how to respond to that statement. Should he even respond? If he remained silent, would Jack get even angrier? Before he had any more time to consider his options, his phone buzzed in his trouser pocket, instructing him to answer it. After fishing it out, he was met by the image of Dr. Nefario in his green rubber ring, indicating who was calling.

"Dr. Nefario, what's goeeng o-"

"Gru!" Nefario screamed down the receiver, making the director wince and pull the phone away. "Please don't tell me you've left for work yet!"

"Wh...why? What's happeneeng?"

"It's not what's happening," Nefario responded hurriedly. "It's what's _about_ to happen! You need to get down to the lab immediately!"

"Oh...um...okay." Gru replied, twisting his expression. He hung up and jumped from the stool, quickly dashing out of the kitchen at speed, without looking back. Once he'd disappeared, the kitchen was left hanging in an extremely angry atmosphere, Jack being the source of it. The frown he possessed continued to transcend deeper into iration, displaying the uncontrollable fire raging inside his mind.

After a minute, Margo, Edith and Agnes appeared at the doorway, still a little tired after just waking up. The moment the girls emerged from the hallway, Jack lifted his head and snapped his gaze onto his little sister, narrowing his eyes at her. The girls came to a halt after spying the concentrated rage on their brother's face, making them return a befuddled glare.

"Uh...hey, Jack." Margo greeted wearily.

"Hello, girls." Jack responded darkly. After speaking, Jack turned his head away to look out of the nearby window. By looking at Edith for any longer, he could accidentally snap and release all of his bottled anger, something he didn't want to do just yet. "Could me and Edith have a quick chat for a minute...?"

Margo and Edith exchanged fearful glances. It was unusual that Jack would talk so cold and deep with the girls. Usually, he would greet them with a wide smile, a huge hug and one of the cheeriest tones you could ever experience, showing just how much he loved to be around them.

"...alone." He added after a moment.

Now seemed entirely different.

"Um..." Margo replied hastily. The last time she'd seen such anger on Jack's face, he was confessing how much he hated himself on the back garden porch, looking like he was about to explode with rage. She definitely wasn't comfortable with leaving her little sister with him in this kind of state. Who knows what he could do!? But, with that thought, she realized she really had no choice. Jack would always get what he wanted, no matter the cost... "S-Sure. C'mon, Agnes."

Edith shot her older sister another panicky glance, who returned a reassuring smile as she ushered her youngest sibling towards the living room. Jack may be the aggressive type, but he definitely wasn't the type to harm his own family.

Right?

After they'd left, Edith very carefully moved over to the table, ensuring to keep a firm eye on her older brother the entire time. As she did so, Jack kept his head locked down, thinking hard about the best way to go about this. He had only yelled at his little sister once before, but then, he didn't have a chance to think about what to say. He just released whatever words appeared in his head. Now, he did have some time, but his thoughts were completely misguided and empty. He deduced that the best way to traverse this situation, was to allow his brain to make the decisions as he went along.

Once she'd sat down, Jack took a very long, deep breath before lifting his head to look right into her eyes. Edith's heart-rate ascended immediately after spying the shade of red painted across his cheeks. He seemed _extremely_ angry.

"So, Edith..." Jack started lowly. "Did you have a nice day yesterday?"

"Um...it was okay." Edith replied, twisting her expression questioningly. She was beginning to smell something fishy about this conversation, both by the dark tone of his voice and the emptiness in his eyes. Usually, Jack seemed filled to the brim with joy when he spoke with her, but at the moment, he was the exact opposite.

"Good, good." Jack said, nodding. His gaze was still super glued to the tomboy. "And what kind of things did you get up to?"

"Not...much." Edith spoke quietly, scootching back in her seat a little.

"Not much, huh?" Jack replied, narrowing his eyes. By the way his head cocked to the side and by the way his mouth curled into an obviously fake smile, he looked incredibly creepy. "Did you...happen to hang around with Charlie, by any chance?"

"Um...yeah."

"And...did you have a lot of _fun_ with him?"

"What's with all the questions?" Edith asked finally, narrowing her eyes at him in return. Then, Jack's fake smile faded entirely, being replaced by that previous devilish frown.

"I know what you did, Edith." He spoke slowly and eerily. "You broke his nose, didn't you?"

"Yeahhhh." Edith replied nonchalantly, shrugging. She was still completely lost as to where this conversation was heading. The casual way in which she responded boiled Jack's anger further. He lowered his head, until he was looking deep into her eyes, before continuing.

"Did you know that he has an older sister?"

"Mm-hmm, she's your little _crush_." Edith stated mockingly, frowning. Jack's eyes widened a little. How did she know that? Who could've possibly told her? Instead of questioning, he continued with his aggressive rant, wanting to get his words out as quick as possible. At least now that she knew, he didn't have to explain anything.

"More than just my 'little crush'," Jack replied. "She was my girlfriend, and she wasn't too happy with me after you broke her little brother's nose! In fact, she was _SO_ unhappy with me, she decided to break up with me, leaving me all sad, unhappy and alone! How do you feel!? You made your own brother feel like that! Are you happy with yourself!?"

"You had a girlfriend!?" Edith asked loudly, ignoring his loud questions. "What has happened to you!?"

"What's that supposed to mean!?" Jack asked aggressively. By the way in which he yelled, reminders of the way he spoke to Edith in the living room came flooding back, making her feel a little more afraid. Pushing it back, she retorted confidently, hoping to look exceedingly tough in front of him.

"Getting a girlfriend, playing unicorns, leaving me on Unseen Hunter night!" Edith announced ferociously. " _You_ don't do those things!"

"How would you know, Edith!?" Jack shouted. "I may be your brother, but you've only known me for two months!"

"Yeah, but you're _exactly_ like me!" Edith exclaimed. "Those things aren't me! Those sound more like a mix of Margo and Agnes!"

"So what!?" Jack bellowed. "At least Margo and Agnes don't go around breaking people's noses! At least they don't spend every moment of the day sulking just because I left the house for a bit! At least they don't moan and groan when I decide to play unicorns instead of doing something you want to do! Those two are a _LOT_ easier to deal with than _YOU_!"

Edith's eyes widened and her lips parted a little. That final statement hurt her a lot. A lot more than she was expecting. Her frown faded and replaced itself with a sad expression, making her drop her head. She hoped he was done shouting there, but unfortunately, he really, _really_ wasn't.

"And now, because of _YOU_ , I lost my girlfriend!" He blurted. "But you don't care, do you!? In fact, I bet you're pleased with yourself! And if I get another girlfriend, you'll just punch one of their relatives again, because _GOD FORBID_ I can have a life outside of this house for more than _TWO SECONDS_ before you come around and start annoying me again!"

"I am _NOT_ annoying!" Edith screamed. By the way that her voice shuddered, she was clearly very close to tears.

"Oh, yeah!?" Jack boomed. "If you're not annoying, then tell me why I'm so _ANNOYED_!?"

"Because...because..." Edith stuttered, trying her hardest to get her terrified voicebox to operate. "Because you've changed!"

"Changed!?" Jack blurted.

"Yeah!" Edith replied, lifting her head as her usual confidence returned. "It's like...

"It's like you're not even my brother anymore..."

This time, it was Jack's turn to have his eyes widen and his lips part. That statement was like a sharp knife to his heart, almost splitting it in two. Edith was one of the only people in the world who loved him for who he was. It was her choice whether or not to accept him as a brother two months ago, and she made the choice to do so. If she didn't, Gru wouldn't have accepted Jack as part of the family, and his heart would remain forever broken and alone. So, if she didn't consider him a brother...

...was he still accepted?

For a moment, Jack didn't have a clue on how to respond. He simply sat there, silent and stunned, watching Edith as she instantly lowered her head and turned away angrily. Eventually, after a few seconds of depressing thoughts and dead silence, he spoke with a solemn tone.

"How...how can you even say that?" He whimpered, his voice a husk compared to earlier. Edith scowled as she turned back around, not letting his offended tone affect her in the slightest.

"Because you're never around the house anymore, you never spend time with me..."

"But I-"

"...I can't remember the last time you hugged me, or even said 'I love you'..."

"Yeah, but-"

"...you haven't given me a goodnight kiss in days, you spend all your time with your girlfriend..."

"Edith, just-"

"...you don't go to Super Silly Fun Land with me, you don't watch Unseen Hunter with me, you don't play unicorns with Agnes instead of something with me-"

"IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT _YOU_ , EDITH!" Jack screamed at the top of his lungs, slamming his fist down on the table with all of his strength. Under the immensely powerful slam, the table almost shattered into pieces, a huge fist-shaped dent appearing below his hand. Edith jumped and crawled into a fearful ball, glaring at Jack with a deathly frightened look from beneath her lowered hat.

Jack's anger dissipated as quickly as it formed. The terrified look on his little sister's face made him feel massively guilty, possibly the most guilty he'd ever felt in his entire life. An expression of pure regret replaced the frown, as he shifted his gaze away from the petrified Edith.

What was happening to him? Why did he get so angry? Why did he say so many horrible things that he didn't even mean? Maybe she was right. Maybe he had changed. What was making him change? Was it the nightmares? The girlfriend? The memories? All of the above?

At that moment, all he wanted to do was spend the rest of eternity apologizing for the outburst, but no matter how much he instructed his brain to do so, he remained utterly silent. He was now scared as well.

Was that it? Had he just ruined the bond him and his sister had formed over the past two months? He sincerely hoped not, since that bond was one of the only things powering him into the next day.

After around ten seconds of stunned silence, the exact opposite of the room a minute ago, Jack swiftly got up from the table and dashed out of the kitchen. He just had to get away from everyone. He needed a long relaxing walk to soothe his hurt, angered and guilt-ridden feelings. The urge to run back and hug Edith until the end of time was threatening to take control, but as he realized that he could be considered a danger in his current violent state, he continued to run away, in the hopes of protecting his little sister from himself.

Edith watched him as he jogged out of the room, hyperventilating and trying her hardest to calm herself down. Not only did she feel embarrassed for getting so afraid, but she also felt a little guilty for the words she'd used. For a few seconds, she simply sat there, staring forward in shock as she got lost in an extensive thought process.

Maybe that dream was right. Right now, if someone came to take her away, Jack would just stand there and watch it happen, not giving a damn for her safety. He didn't like her, nor did he love her. He said it himself, he just found her annoying. While Margo and Agnes were easy, lovable girls, Edith was just a frustrating, hard to deal with tomboy.

Finally, she rested her head in her arms and began sobbing, the thoughts beating her previous confidence into a barely recognizable pulp. The sleeves of her pink jumper quickly dampened as she cried her frightened eyes into them. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so afraid, which only seemed to add to the anger she felt towards herself. This was possibly the worst start to the day she could've ever imagined.

She didn't realize just how worse the rest of the day would be...

Jack thundered his way down the hallway at speed. He locked his eyes on his destination, the front door, which was currently being guarded by the two hired bodyguards. Margo peeked her head from the living room doorway as Jack stormed past. She'd just heard the loud shout from the kitchen and got immediately concerned. Jack decided not to turn his head to look at her as he desperately tried to escape the house, in fear of harming her as well. As he went to open the door, Daniel put a hand on his shoulder and tried to stop him, under the rules Gru instated.

"Hey, kid. I can't let you-"

Before he could finish, Jack pushed him off and up against the wall, creating a booming slam sound as his back crunched against it. Immediately after retaliating, Jack dashed out of the front door and over the lawn before the bodyguards could stop him, who were now looking at each other in confusion as Daniel steadied himself and soothed his anguished spine. Margo had never seen Jack look so angry as he did so.

As Jack sprinted down the street, trying to move as fast as he could, he didn't notice the five gun-wielding soldiers approaching from the other direction, making their way towards the Gru household...

* * *

Gru descended into the underground lab, emerging from the elevator with that usual professional swagger. He did so to preserve his dominance, which he was fearful of losing ever since joining the AVL. A few of the minions gave him a wave and a thumbs up, returning a prompt nod of the head. As he wandered past the vast shelves of indeterminable weapons, Dr. Nefario came running out of the supercomputer room, carrying a load of papers and seeming obviously flustered.

"Gru! There you are!" Nefario blurted, skipping the greetings, as usual. "Come over to my desk! Have I got some things to tell you!"

"Theengs, huh?" Gru inquired, following his best friend as he moved over to his desk. "Eef any of dose theengs eenvolves de Daniel Flint research, yoo don't have to bother. I've tracked heem down and undone de mind-warp, so no eenformation ees necessary."

"Yes it _does_ involve the Flint research, and no I _do_ have to bother!" Nefario replied hurriedly, as the two continued to dash through the lab. "I'll be honest with you Gru, I didn't exactly want to do the research, considering that I was born to be a villain. But, after Dru told me that his big villain partner was actually Venin, I had to do something to keep us all safe! That man cannot be trusted!"

"Dru's villain partner ees _Venin_!" Gru exclaimed indignantly, clenching his fists with anger. "How could my brother do dis!? Ees he tryeeng to kill us all!?"

"Who knows. Chances are, he's being tricked." Nefario retorted, as the two arrived at the desk. He quickly shoved his pile of reports and forms down on the table, before continuing with his explanation. "But anyway, while I was doing the Daniel Flint research, I stumbled across a lot of information regarding Venin, and...well, you might wanna sit down for this."

"Seet down?" Gru questioned, twisting his expression. By the way in which Nefario looked incredibly panicked, Gru knew that he had to be extremely worried about something. Nefario only got worried if something VERY bad was going down. The former villain complied and took a seat at the desk, continuing to display his confusion. "Why? Ees dis about de president theeng dat he's planneeng? Because I already know about dat."

"It's not what he's planning, but what he's already done." Nefario began, pacing in front of the desk. "Venin has been trying his hardest to keep his and his wife's past clouded in secrecy, but through the use of a LOT of research, I've pieced together a fairly accurate timeline of his life. Or, the important part of his life anyway."

"Right...?" Gru replied in bewilderment, narrowing his eyes. "So...what has he done?"

"Gru, I don't want you to freak out, okay!" Nefario stated. "There are a lot of things we can do about this, so if he does try anything, we can fight back and take him down and make sure that he-"

"NEFARIO!" Gru exclaimed, startling the elderly professor. "Stop rambleeng! Just tell me what yoo found!"

Nefario took a long, deep breath before beginning.

"It turns out that...Venin and his wife had a pretty boring life before they moved onto villainy." He explained. "In fact, that was most likely the reason why villainy seemed so tempting. It was a much bigger upgrade from their previous unfulfilling lives. By hacking into the employee records, I found out that they used to work in some dead-end postal service job, where a lot of their information was kept in the database."

"What eenformation?" Gru asked.

"Personal information. Things like their home address, their family details, their crime records etc." Nefario stated, handing one of the papers over to Gru. Gru glanced at the form, quickly deducing it as a criminal record, as Nefario continued with his explanation. "That record details a domestic abuse charge that he was found guilty of eleven years ago. Somehow, he managed to evade any penalties or consequences, even though he admitted to the crime."

"Uh...okay." Gru spoke. "Why are yoo telleeng me dis?"

"I'm not finished." Nefario informed, snatching the record and putting it back down on to the table. "According to the database, their careers were ended after they were reported...dead."

"Dead?" Gru inquired. "But...he's steel alive!"

"Yes, he is." Nefario replied, nodding. "By collecting a multitude of newspaper articles that date back to the day their careers ended, I found a report about a car crash, which lists the death of a married couple. The names of this couple correlate exactly to that of Venin and his wife's real names, proving that they must've faked their deaths in a car crash."

"Wow...dat's certainly...interesteeng." Gru said. He was slightly lost, but with the final conclusion Nefario added at the end, he could just about wrap his head around the information. "But, again, why are yoo telleeng me dis?"

"And, again, I'm not finished." Nefario replied firmly. "Remember when I said that the postal service carried Venin's family details?"

"Yeah."

"Well, take a gander at this." Nefario spoke carefully, handing him another one of the reports. Gru took the paper from the doctor's hand and quickly drifted through the information that was written upon it. But, as he took in the details, his eyes widened and his mouth fell open, his heart skipping a beat in the process. He put the paper down and stared at Nefario blankly for a few seconds, his voicebox struggling to function under the insane amount of shock.

"Wh...I...are yoo sure dis ees correct?"

"Gru, it's _me_!" Nefario stated. "When do I ever get information wrong?"

"So...yoo...I...he..." Gru stuttered. After a moment, he lifted the paper again and clarified the words. There they were again. They were definitely there. But, even though he knew that, he really hoped that they would disappear and replace themselves with less devastating words. After almost a minute of shocked silence, Nefario perked up again, watching as Gru continued to check the report.

"You're reading it right, Gru." Nefario said. "After Venin and his wife faked their deaths in a car crash in order to join villainy, Jack killed his social worker and Edith was placed in an orphanage."

"Dis _CANNOT_ be true!" Gru exclaimed, standing up from his seat. "Venin cannot be Jack and Edith's father! Yoo must've got sometheeng wrong! Just, please...tell me yoo've made a meestake!"

"Gru...remember, don't freak out." Nefario spoke calmly, lifting his hands to signal him to calm down. "We can sort this out, okay. Everything will be just fine."

"I can't believe eet!" Gru shouted, putting his head into his arms. This way too much to take in. The man who was planning one of the biggest and most lethal evil schemes of all time was the biological father to his own daughter and son. It was like the premise of a blockbuster movie. "But, wait...what was de domestic abuse charge for?"

"Um...you might want to ask Jack about that." Nefario replied, shifting a little uncomfortably. "It isn't my place to tell you extremely personal information about your own son."

"Oh...god." Gru spoke, lowering his head. What did he try to do to Jack? He didn't want to think about it, but at the same time, his curiosity was getting the best of him. As his thoughts continued, the sounds of multiple loud noises coming from above snapped him back into reality, making him lift his head and glare at Nefario with trepidation. "Deed you hear dat?"

"Yep." Nefario replied, nodding. He looked just as worried as Gru. "It sounded like...gunshots."

With the most amount of pace he'd ever used, Gru sprinted towards the elevator and ascended into the house at speed, his mind running off in a million thoughts and directions, each one scaring him that little bit more. Once he'd emerged into the living room, he quickly shot his gaze around the room in search of anything suspicious, being met by absolutely no-one. He stepped from the elevator and listened closely, waiting for the next gunshot.

As he did so, he didn't spot the soldier standing right behind him, who quickly lunged forward and knocked him unconscious with the butt of his gun...

* * *

Jack bent down and picked up another flat stone, throwing it across the lake with all of his strength and watching it skim across the surface to the other side. As he stood there, watching his reflection in the water, he felt one of the most damning feelings he'd ever experienced. Why did he get so angry with Edith? She didn't deserve to be yelled at like that, not in the slightest.

He didn't have a clue why he said those things to her. He didn't mean any of it. He was just speaking out of anger. Everything he said was just an over-exaggerated lie. She meant everything to him, but by looking at the words he'd used against her, you'd think he hated her. How could he ever call her annoying? How could he ever say that Margo and Agnes were easier to deal with? How could he ever yell at her so loud, that she looked fearful for her own life?

With that final question, Jack couldn't hold it back anymore. He put his head in his hands and cried hard, feeling a few tears run down his fingers. All this time, he had been doing everything in his power to make sure Edith felt safe and happy, but now, he was the reason she felt the exact opposite. If he had ever heard someone else say what Jack had just said to her, he would've broken their arms and legs and most likely put them in a very long coma.

After a minute of quietly sobbing, he removed his hands from his face and stared back down at the image of himself in the water. His cheeks were red, his hair was messy and his eyes were damp. There was no easier way to put this, he absolutely hated himself. Everything about him was disgusting. He wanted to repeatedly bang his head against a wall until his brain would sort itself out, because right now, he felt unbearably uncomfortable in his own body.

As he continued to stand there and berate himself, a thought flashed through his head, snapping his mind back into reality. Right now, Edith must be feeling both scared and alone, and the very fact that he could just get up and leave her was disgusting. Another awful aspect of his personality, his selfishness. He wiped away any remaining tears with his sleeve, slowing his fast-paced breath, before turning around and walking away, making his way back to the house.

When he got back, he was going to give Edith the biggest hug she'd ever received in her life, as long as she was still willing to give him the time of day. He didn't care what it would take, he would make himself up to her. He would apologize until the end of time if he had to, he just wanted her to feel okay again. That was all that mattered. Edith.

Jack walked down the street with his head down and his hands in his pocket. Whenever he would walk past a passerby, he would make sure to cover his eyes, so that no-one would know that he had been crying. A boy with muscles the size of his weren't allowed to cry. It was that simple.

After a few minutes, he'd made his way back to his house, preparing the apology to Edith in his mind the entire time. But, as he lifted his head, the scene in the front garden shocked him to no end. His heart almost stopped completely out of total fear and panic for his family. The two bodyguards laid dead on the lawn in a pool of their own blood, with multiple bullet holes penetrating their skin. The front door was booted off its hinges and multiple windows had been smashed, most likely with stray bullets.

"No..." Jack mumbled under his breath. He sprinted forward with all of his pace and ran into the downstairs hallway, where a soldier with a carbine rifle was patrolling around the house. Jack shot him one of the most threatening looks he'd ever give someone, as he prepared to jump at him and pound his head against the floor until his facial features were completely unrecognizable.

But, as he prepared to do so, another soldier stepped from his left, and smacked him across the head with his gun, making everything go black...

* * *

Dru awoke to the ice cold feeling of the air on his skin. He shivered uncontrollably, crawling up into a ball in the hopes of retaining his body heat. As he continued to shiver on the floor, a devastating reminder thundered into his head, making him open his eyes and dart his head around the room. He was in a dark, damp prison cell, with the only source of light being the timid, flickering bulb on the other side of the bars.

"HEY!" Dru yelled, standing up and screaming desperately. "CAN ANYONE HEAR ME!?"

Then, Venin, Fiona and two of his bodyguards appeared outside of the cell, the two villains smirking evilly as they strutted up to the bars. Dru stepped back as they approached the prison cell, sincerely hoping that all of this was just a very bad dream.

"Nice to see you again, Dru." Venin spoke menacingly, coming to a stop. "How unfortunate our friendship has to end this way."

"What...what's happeneeng?" Dru whimpered, trembling with panic.

"Have you still not figured it out yet!?" Fiona exclaimed. "You're more of an idiot than I thought you were! You're being backstabbed, you moron!"

"Calm down now, Fiona," Venin said softly. It didn't take a genius to realize that his tone was entirely disingenuous. "The plan is very convoluted, so Dru can be forgiven for not seeing through the lies and manipulation to look at its dark underlayer."

"What are yoo talkeeng about?" Dru asked timidly.

"I'm not taking over as president, Dru." Venin explained, grinning again. "That was all a lie. Why the hell would I want to be president of a country that will cease to exist in around twenty minutes!?"

"Cease to exist?" Dru questioned, twisting his expression. His heart was practically pounding out of his chest. "I don't understand."

"Of course you don't understand!" Venin shouted. "You were not meant to understand! But now, since you and your family will soon be dead, I guess it makes no difference whether you know about it or not."

"My family!?" Dru exclaimed. His previous worry transformed to anger as he dashed up to the bars. "What do yoo mean dey'll soon be dead!? What have you done to dem!?"

As he did so, Fiona walked forward and booted Dru in his private parts, making him wince and fall to his knees in pain. He quickly shuffled backward again as the pain spread across his abdomen, making him moan and groan in anguish.

"Good one, Fiona." Venin complimented, keeping his gaze on the blonde villain. "Nothing yet, but soon, most of them will be killed in the huge nuclear explosion that will soon destroy this entire country."

"Nuclear explosion?" Dru inquired, still stirring in pain.

"Yes." Venin replied, nodding. "Or should I say, nuclear explosion _s_. By taking over the white house and removing the president, I have access to over one thousand nuclear bombs, all of which will be aimed towards every major town and city in the US!"

"WHAT!?" Dru bellowed, slowly getting back to his feet. "Are yoo being serious!?"

"Of course he's being serious!" Fiona boomed. "God, you're such a half-wit! I don't know how you could possibly believe him when he told you he picked you for your skill!"

"What are yoo on about!?" Dru shouted. Now, he was getting angry.

"Dru, I didn't pick you for your expertise," Venin explained darkly. "I used you as a pawn. I was after your family, because you have something, or someone, that I want back! That was your only use, besides having your little assistant make me another mind-control ray!"

"My family has done notheeng to yoo!" Dru retorted. "Don't yoo dare try to hurt dem!"

"I'm not going to hurt all of them." Venin replied. "Edith will be perfectly safe after my plan unfolds."

"Wh...how do yoo know her name!?" Dru questioned. "Who are yoo!?"

"That isn't important." Venin stated. After speaking, he pointed to the tattoo of two gems on his arm and spoke deeply. "One gem is gone forever, but the other one is coming back to me!"

Dru glared at Venin uneasily. What did that mean? How did he know Edith? Who was this guy? There were too many unanswered questions spinning around his head, making him more and more confused and panicked. After a moment of befuddled silence, Venin continued.

"I used you to get my daughter back." Venin stated. "I've been trying to track her down for the past few years, and after lots of research and investigating, I was still having no luck in doing so. Finally, when things were looking hopeless, I was tipped off to the sighting of a girl who met her exact description in the island nation of Freedonia. My bodyguards flew out to the island to find her, just in time for that idiot Bratt to kidnap her and stick her atop the World Records building. I flew over to Hollywood to take him down and get her back, but as I did, I saw some redhead come and save her and two other girls, just before you and that other guy took the robot down. At this point, I realized that she had found an adopted family, all of whom were now being kept under my radar. Around a week later, just as I was developing a plan to take her back from you, the _mistake_ came along and got you all intertwined in a war with the IVB, making it near impossible to take her back without having a lot of issues to deal with. Once you guys blew up the headquarters and saved the AVL, I kept an eye on your whole family, biding my time until everything fell into place. And now, with your help and idiocy, she's coming back to me!"

Dru could hardly believe his ears. There was a lot of information to take in, but the one part that was shocking him the most, was the fact that Edith was this guy's daughter. It didn't seem right. She was such a loving little girl. How could she ever come from a guy like this? But, if he _was_ Edith's real dad, that must've meant Jack was also his son. Why hadn't he mentioned him? And, for that matter, who was the _mistake_? Before he could question it, Venin continued again.

"And now that I have her back," He began. "The two of us will fly out of the US and watch it all explode into smithereens. I can then live the rest of my life in happiness with my daughter, with no mistakes or problems getting in the way! Everything will be great again!"

"And I will become one of the most well-known villains in the world!" Fiona stated. " _The woman who destroyed the USA._ I like the sound of that. Everyone will fall at my feet as I go around terrifying the entire earth, carrying out more acts of tyranny."

"Yoo won't get away weeth dis!" Dru shouted, strutting up to the bars again.

"Ugh...such a cliché thing to say." Fiona muttered, scowling.

"It's all going to be okay, Dru." Venin said softly, grinning evilly again. "Just remember, when you and the rest of your family are burning up in one of the biggest explosions the world has ever seen, Edith will be safe and sound under my watch again."

"I swear...when I get outta here...yoo are gonna die a very painful death." Dru mumbled lowly. Venin and Fiona simply cackled mockingly, obviously not believing the threat. After a few seconds of laughter, the two of them and the bodyguards made their way out of the room, smiling devilishly as they did so.

"Well, it was nice knowing you, Dru. I'll be sure to listen out for your screams of anguish when the nukes hit." He stated, making Dru frown and growl with ire. Just before the masked villain left the room, he turned to face one of his bodyguards, ensuring the henchman couldn't leave. "Stay here and keep an eye on him. Make sure he doesn't escape."

The bodyguard nodded his head, not realizing that staying here will involve death by nuclear explosion, and moved back over to watch the blonde villain. The door slammed closed, leaving Dru and the bodyguard all alone. Dru scanned his mind for an answer, anything that could help aid his escape, but when nothing became clear, all he could do was slump down onto the floor and carry his head in his hands. He had gotten out of these life-threatening situations before, but this time, it really did seem that...

...there was no getting out of this.

* * *

Jack's mind slowly reemerged into consciousness, being met by a noticeably cold atmosphere. The floor he was laying on and the air that was surrounding him was freezing, making him shiver as he woke back up. For a few seconds, he kept his eyes shut, incredibly fearful about what would happen when he opened them. But eventually, he creaked his eyelids open and inspected his surroundings.

Immediately, he recognized that he was in a prison cell, since of course, this wasn't his first time inside of one. But, what he found much more alerting, was the sight of Margo and Agnes sitting near him, the eldest holding her sister close as they shivered together. After seeing their shaking bodies and deathly fearful expressions, Jack began to tremble for an entirely different reason.

"Girls!" He exclaimed, gathering their attention. The two of them lifted their heads and turned to face their brother, watching as he analyzed them closely, clearly checking for any sign of injury. After a moment, they got up and ran over to him, the teen bringing them in for a huge hug. "Thank god you're okay."

"What's going on?" Margo mumbled quietly, clearly very close to a frightened cry.

"I don't know." Jack replied. "It looks like we've been kidnapped. Gru must've been right about that dangerous villain."

"Are we gonna die, Jack?" Agnes whimpered. She was already at the point of a frightened cry. Instantly after those words left her mouth, Jack separated the hug so he could look right into her reddened eyes, before speaking with an incredibly soft tone.

"No, Agnes." He said. "I'm not gonna let anything bad happen to us. I promise you, we will get out of here safe and sound, okay?"

Agnes nodded, immediately hugging back into Jack's torso for comfort. As she did so, Jack's eyes widened as he quickly came to a horrible realization, making him turn his head around the entire room and outside of the bars.

"Where's Edith?" He asked, his voice quivering with panic.

"I'm not sure." Margo muttered, shrugging solemnly. "The men took her off somewhere else."

"What men?" Jack asked quickly. Before she could respond, the door outside of the cell opened up to allow Venin and his bodyguard inside, the villain strutting with a proud swagger. The bodyguard held a squirming Edith in his grasp, holding onto her tight to ensure she couldn't move or escape.

" _Those_ men." Margo replied.

Jack's head immediately spun to his little sister as she remained trapped in the bodyguard's arms. Her boots had been taken off, leaving her with just socked feet, proving that she must've been kicking up a storm when they had taken her. Jack found that detail mildly amusing, but because the best person in Jack's entire life was currently trapped in the arms of someone extremely dangerous, he didn't dare smirk.

"EDITH!" Jack yelled, sprinting up to the bars.

"JACK! HELP!" Edith boomed back. Her eyes were red and her cheeks were stained with tear streams, proving that she must've been crying. With every new depressing detail that he uncovered about her, another stake was lodged in his heart.

"Hmm...such a touching reunion," Venin mumbled, frowning impatiently. "I feel like I'm gonna cry."

"I swear to god, if you hurt her..." Jack mumbled extremely darkly. His expression was incredibly threatening, possibly the most threatening the three girls had ever seen him. He looked like he wanted to tear Venin's skin off in anger. "...I will make you regret the day you were born."

"It's not _my_ birth date that I regret, Jack." Venin replied. Jack twisted his expression questioningly. How did he know his name? "It's _your_ birth date that I regret."

"Wha...what the hell are you on about!?" Jack exclaimed. Instead of responding, Venin smirked and lowered his head. After doing so, he grabbed the top of his mask and pulled upwards, revealing his face. Jack's eyes widened and his mouth fell completely open in total shock, finding himself unconsciously staggering backward in fear. "No..."

"Hello again, Jack." Venin spoke, lifting his head back up. "God, I can't remember the last time I saw you. You've gotten so tall and strong. No doubt you're still a complete coward, however."

Jack continued to walk backward in a state of total fright. Edith had never seen him look so terrified. It wasn't in his nature to be scared, so why did he look so beyond petrified? After ensuring he was a large distance away from the green-jumpered villain, Jack motioned his hands behind him, not taking his gaze away from Venin.

"Girls. Get behind me." He spoke quietly, his voice trembling.

"Why?" Margo asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Just do it!" Jack exclaimed sternly, turning to look at her. His eyes looked filled to the brim with distress. This time, Margo didn't dare disobey, and ushered her and Agnes to stand right behind their older brother. Once they were standing safely behind his legs, Jack turned back to Venin and eyed him up again, double-checking if he was seeing him correctly. "How...how are you-"

"Still alive?" Venin interrupted. "Well, it's a long story, so I'll cut it short. Me and your mother really wanted to start a life of villainy, but, it was very difficult to do that when we had a family. We could've done it if we'd just had Edith, but unfortunately, you just _HAD_ to be born eight years prior. Biggest mistake of my entire life! So, we faked our deaths in a car crash and ditched you, promising ourselves we would track Edith down and get her back when she was old enough. That way, we could get rid of you, become villains, and keep our precious little daughter."

"You...you...you _FAKED_ your deaths!?" Jack shouted, gritting his teeth angrily. "You...you put Edith in an orphanage just so you could start villainy!? Why you sick piece of-"

"Woah, woah, when did you get so snappy!?" Venin retorted. "Pipe down, you complete waste of oxygen! God, you're just as frustrating as you were when you were young! How are you even still alive!? If I was you, a horrible mistake and total disappointment, I would've ended my own life before I turned twelve!"

Edith couldn't believe the words he was using. They were horrible. Surely, Jack, her strong and fearless brother, wouldn't take those words without a fight. But to her surprise, Jack put his head down and slumped his shoulders sorrowfully, looking like he was about to cry. Edith had never seen him look so dejected.

"I really wish you died that night, y'know!" Venin stated loudly and aggressively. "I tried my hardest to make those injuries fatal, but no, those stupid doctors and nurses had to save you! If only the cops didn't find out about it! Otherwise, I would've done it again, and that time, you would not have survived!"

"Please..." Jack whimpered. "Please...stop talking..."

"Pfft...look at you!" He bellowed, motioning his hands in Jack's direction. "About to cry again, are we!? You're seventeen, for god sake! You should've passed this crying phase long ago, Jack! Grow up and be a man!"

Jack looked more and more depressed as he continued, his head dropping lower. This was not the person Edith knew Jack as. He never backed down, but right now, he had never looked so intimidated and scared.

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Jack!" Venin shouted. "You're just a complete coward! You're nothing but a wuss! No wonder you've become such a waste of time and space. You don't even deserve to breathe the same air or walk the same ground or grace the same planet as Edith, let alone be her brother. I hate you, and everything about you, with a burning _PASSION_! How does that make you feel!? That your own father _HATES_ you! In fact, I hate you _MORE_ now that you're older, because you're _STILL_ NOTHING BUT A MISTAKE AND AN ACCIDENT!"

Finally, those last words seemed to chip away the last of Jack's confidence. He fell to his knees and held his head in his hands, crying his eyes out. Edith had seen Jack cry before, but when he did, he only sobbed quietly. This time, however, his eyes were acting as water taps, flooding tears out of them at an extreme rate.

"Now, if I was you, I'd say your goodbyes to those little adopted brats!" Venin exclaimed, motioning his hand at Margo and Agnes. "Because once we've left here, we'll be letting off a thousand nukes and destroying this entire country, you three along with it! I'm not even going to let you say goodbye to Edith, since you really don't deserve it! She won't miss you! She'll be perfectly happy with me, and you'll be completely forgotten! Goodbye again, Jack! This will _DEFINITELY_ be the last time you'll see me!"

And with that, Venin and the bodyguard left the room, Edith still imprisoned firmly in the latter's grasp. She tried with all of her might to escape, but she was just too weak. If only Jack had let her borrow those dumbbells, she might've been strong enough to break free. Just before they left, she called out to Jack with the loudest voice she could stifle, hoping he would find some way to come and save her.

"JACK! PLEASE DON'T LET HIM TAKE ME!"

"Edith..." Jack mumbled, trying to pick himself up again. However, he just couldn't. His mind was drained of confidence and determination, and the only thing that he could do, was kneel down on the cold floor and continue to cry his eyes out.

"EDITH!" Margo yelped, sprinting over and reaching her hand out of the bars, hoping somehow she could grab her. However, as she did so, the door slammed shut and Edith disappeared, her audible pleads slowly fading away. Margo's eyes filled up with tears as the slam rung around the whole room, leaving everything deadly quiet and still right after.

"Jack..." Agnes mumbled, lightly shaking his shoulder as he continued to cry hard. "Are you okay?"

"I...I...I don't think so, Agnes." Jack replied, stuttering as his voice continued to give out and quiver. Agnes moved over and wrapped her tiny arms around his side, hoping that she could provide enough comfort to make him feel better. However, Jack was so lost in his father's words, he didn't even feel Agnes hug into him, even though she was holding as tight as she could.

"We can save her right, Jack!?" Margo blurted, turning around to look at him. "Everything is going to be fine, right!?"

"Margo...come over here for a sec..." Jack mumbled, motioning for his eldest sister. Margo quickly moved over, where Jack signaled for her to sit down beside him, wiping away a few stray tears in the process. She complied, Agnes letting go and joining her older sister in sitting down.

"What?" Margo asked.

"I...um..." Jack began, his voice giving out before he could release his words. More tears were building up in his eyes, and his shaking returned, the image of Edith reappearing. She really was gone. Again! His little sister would be out of his life. AGAIN! That same pain reappeared and struck his heart like a billion daggers, exactly like that time in his old prison cell. "I want you girls to know...that I love you with all of my heart..."

"Jack...?" Margo mumbled, her eyes dampening with his.

"And I want you to know just how much your dad loves you," Jack continued, sniffling heavily. "And how much your mom loves you, and how much Uncle Dru loves you, and how much Dr. Nefario loves you, and how much the minions love you! We all love you, and that will never _ever_ change. But...unfortunately...I think..."

Margo and Agnes leaned in, their eyes filled to the brim with a lake of tears, as they listened closely.

"...this is goodbye..."

At that moment, Margo couldn't hold the wave back any longer, and she jumped into Jack with a huge hug, crying a flood into his chest. Immediately after, Agnes got up and did the same, all three of them holding each other closely in a small group cuddle. As he held his little sisters for the very last time, a dark thought crossed Jack's mind, making him cry that little bit harder. He had promised Agnes that he would get them out of here safe and sound, but if his biological father was the one he had to beat, then it seemed...

...he was about to break another promise.

* * *

 _I'm very sorry for leaving it there, but hopefully, with enough work, I'll get the next chapter up by tomorrow. I know, you wanna kill me for this kind of cliffhanger, but I couldn't help myself :p_

 _I've also made a re-calculation. Last chapter, I said that we'll be ending on Chapter Twelve. Well, scratch that, it looks like we'll be finishing on Chapter Thirteen._

 _If you enjoyed, or hated, please consider dropping your thoughts in a review. I say it every time, but it's just because I really mean it, it does mean a lot to read what you guys think. See you soon!_


	12. Gone Forever

_We've hit the penultimate chapter!_

 _There really isn't much to say except that I really hope you enjoy it. A lot of time and effort has been put into this one, so hopefully, it will pay off._

* * *

 **Chapter Twelve -  
** _ **Gone Forever**_

Dru sat slumped in his prison cell. There was no hope left. Venin had backstabbed and betrayed him, leaving him abandoned in a fate of certain death. His family were all about to die, and Edith was about to spend the rest of her life with a disgusting, evil man who would most likely treat her badly. It was enough to bring tears to his eyes.

His mind flickered through the events of the past few days. A lot of things had happened, with a lot of excitement, doubts, and ups and downs. However, Dru could never have envisioned it ending like this. When he originally got that call to join the scheme, he knew that participating would give his life some much-needed spice. But now, participating has ended up bringing his life to a dismal end.

He regretted accepting the job with all of his heart. He shouldn't have been so selfish. He had an amazing family, possibly the best family you could've ever asked for, and he decided to give them all up to add some stupid unneeded spice to his life. This was all his fault. If he had declined, the entire USA wouldn't be facing its impending doom, and his whole family would be completely safe from harm.

As he continued to relive a lot of the moments in Venin's hideout, a reminder brought a burning question into his head, one he wished he could've asked before the masked villain left. What was the need of building a second, smaller mind-control ray? He said that it would be used to deal with a possible hindrance, so what _was_ that hindrance? It looked like he would never know, considering the end was quickly approaching.

He also had to admire the effectiveness of that mind-control ray. It was an insanely impressive weapon. It worked so well on the whole US army. It was as if their entire mind was replaced with a remote control, which could now be used to guide them through the world and instruct them to complete certain acts, without giving the host any say on the matter. Even with those drawbacks that Venin explained, it still sounded like a near-perfect tool.

And then, a realization popped into his mind.

He lifted his head and spied the bodyguard outside of the cell, who had his back turned away as he leaned up against the bars. He turned his gaze across the whole dimly lit cell, stopping once his line of sight was caught by a large rock nearby. He quietly shuffled over and bent down to grab it, his arms struggling a little under the weight, before standing up and aiming.

Once he was fairly sure his accuracy was on point, he threw the rock with all of his strength, watching it fly across the room and smash the bodyguard across the head, knocking him unconscious immediately.

"Yes!" Dru cheered, fist pumping. He quickly dashed over to the bars and watched the man's unmoving face, hoping sincerely that he would wake up with his mind returned. Otherwise, Dru was probably in for an early death. After a minute, the bodyguard moaned and tossed around on the ground, sitting up and looking questioningly at the blonde villain as he slowly opened his eyes.

"Wh...what happened?" He questioned in confusion. His mind was back, and even though Dru felt the urge to celebrate by jumping around in happiness, he knew there was something much more important to get through first.

"Dere ees no time to explain!" He blurted. "Do yoo have de key for dis cell!?"

"Um...I can't remember." The bodyguard replied, standing up and dusting himself off, giving his anguished head a soothing rub. He shuffled his hand through his suit pockets, searching intently, before fishing out a small silver key, holding it up to the flickering light. "Is this what you're after?"

"Woooo! Thank god for dat!" Dru cheered. "Now quick, open de cell!"

The bodyguard complied and fumbled the key into the lock, turning it around until the metal bar door opened. Dru quickly paced out and into the adjacent room, ushering the bodyguard to follow him as he sprinted for the door.

"Come on!" He exclaimed. "We have a world to save!"

* * *

Gru and Lucy slowly emerged from unconsciousness, the two giving each other an extremely petrified look as they quickly realized that they were locked inside a prison cell. The disgusting smell of damp invaded their senses and the cold touch of the air frustrated their skin. They quickly spun their gazes around the dark room in search of the girls, but upon realizing that they were nowhere to be found, could barely control their bout of panic.

"Gru!" Lucy exclaimed, running over to him and hugging her arms around his back. "What's going on!? Where are we!?"

"I don't have a clue, Lucy." Gru replied, hugging her in return. "But...judgeeng on how were locked eenside a prison cell, eet's definitely not a good place."

"How is this happening!?" Lucy shouted. "Why would someone just kidnap a random family!?"

"Well...to de keednappers, I don't theenk we're random." Gru replied, gritting his teeth anxiously. Lucy quickly let go and gave her husband a bewildered look, glaring deep into his terrified eyes.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"I theenk we've been keednapped by Venin." Gru stated, lowering his head in both thought and fear. "Dr. Nefario had been doeeng some research on heem...and eet turns out dat...Venin ees Jack and Edith's biological father."

By the look of discomfort on Gru's face, it was clearly very painful to repeat those words out loud. In his time of being a father to three adopted children, he never considered that the biological parents would return and take them back. Possibly because the very suggestion of it scared him more than anything.

"What...?" Lucy mumbled quietly, her mouth falling open in stunned shock.

"I know! Eet's crazy!" Gru proclaimed. "I theenk dat's why he's keednapped us. I theenk...he wants Edith back."

"No..." Lucy muttered, shaking her head as if to completely reject the entire suggestion. She turned away and put her hands on her head, as if she was trying to pull her brain out of a horrible dream. "Tell me this is just some... _sick_ joke!"

"I weesh eet was, Lucy." Gru said, closing his eyes and dropping his head solemnly. "I really, _really_ weesh eet was."

"We can't let that happen, Gru!" Lucy exclaimed, pacing around the cell and hyperventilating as she racked her mind. "We can't let him take our little girl away! What if he tries to hurt her!? Or worse!? And for that matter, where are the other two!? And Jack!? And Dru!?"

"Lucy, calm down." Gru spoke softly, moving over at speed and putting an arm on her shoulder. "We can't theenk straight eef we're paneeckeeng."

"Well, what else can I do, Gru!?" Lucy bellowed. "How am I supposed to remain calm when that man has our daughters!?"

"Because eef yoo don't, we can't get dem back!" Gru stated firmly. "I know eet ees hard Lucy, but we have to keep ourselves composed! Dat way, we can get de gurls back and everytheeng weel be back to normal."

"Look around you, Gru!" Lucy screamed, the panic trickling into her voice. "We're locked inside a prison cell! The only way to get the girls back, is to escape, and I don't see a single possible way to do that!"

And at that moment, as if Dru had been waiting for those exact words to escape Lucy's mouth, the blonde villain practically smashed the door down and pranced into the room, the bodyguard following swiftly behind.

"Dru!" Lucy exclaimed, running up to the bars. "Thank god you're alright! Where are the girls!?"

"I'm...I'm not sure." Dru replied quietly, the fear causing his voice to cut off. He'd looked around a few different prison cells before arriving at this one, and there wasn't a single sign of the girls or Jack. "I theenk dey're somewhere around here but...I dunno."

"Oh...god." Lucy spoke quietly, putting her head in her hands. The longer her children were missing, the more and more distressed the redhead was becoming. "Where even is _here_? Where are we?"

"I'm not one-hundred-percent sure, but I theenk we're eenside a military base." Dru informed. "Dere was a weendow out een de corridor and...I saw all dese soldiers and jets and towers and theengs. Venin must have used his army to take control of some base."

"Army?" Lucy inquired, giving Gru a quick glance, who she didn't realize was sporting a very dark frown. "How did he get an army?"

"Eet's a long story. Just know dat he used a mind-control ray." Dru stated. "But anyway, enough conversation! We have to go! Venin ees about to destroy de entire US weeth nukes!"

"Nukes!?" Lucy exclaimed. "My god! This guy is _insane_! But...how do we get out of this cell!?"

"I got you covered." The bodyguard spoke, moving over and shoving the key into the lock. After a few twists and turns, the barred door opened up, allowing the married couple to escape the prison cell. "There we are."

"Woooo!" Dru cheered, throwing his arms into the air in a huge celebration. "Now come on! Let's go save de wor-"

Before he could finish, Gru thundered forward and punched Dru with a fairly strong right hook, making the blonde villain's head jerk back abruptly. For a few seconds, there was just shocked silence, Dru staring at his brother with a mix of anger and surprise. But, eventually, he perked up.

"Yoo...yoo heet me?" He spoke quietly.

"Yoo're _DAMN_ right I deed!" Gru yelled. "What de _hell_ were yoo theenkeeng, workeeng weeth Venin!? Because of yoo and your stupeed antics, we could've all been killed! Een fact, eef his leetle nuclear bomb plan works, we weel _DEFINITELY_ get killed!"

"Hey! I deedn't mean for dis to happen!" Dru shouted. "Normal villainy was getteeng boreeng, so I thought I'd try sometheeng new!"

"Well, why deedn't yoo just steal some big landmark like Vector deed!" Gru exclaimed. "Eenstead of tryeeng to destroy de ENTIRE UNITED STATES!"

"Hey! Hey!" Lucy boomed, jumping in between them as Dru prepared his next yell. "Why don't we argue after we've saved the girls and prevented the destruction of the entire US, yeah!?"

Gru and Dru shot each other another deeply aggressive glare, as they began narrowing their eyes to display the brewed rage. After a few seconds of silence, Dru let out a deep sigh and put his head down, realizing that continuing the argument was entirely pointless.

"Ugh...she's right, Gru." He said solemnly. "We can't stop Venin eef we're arguing. Just know dat I'm sorry, okay. I really deedn't mean for any of dis to happen."

"Hmph...eef yoo say so." Gru replied quietly. He seemed unconvinced, however, displaying it wasn't the best of ideas considering the current situation. "But, yoo are right. Eef we work together, Venin won't last a single second."

Suddenly, an audible chuckle emitted from behind them, making the trio and the bodyguard quickly turn towards it. A short woman in a dark red turtleneck and black joggers stood there, smirking evilly as she leaned up against the wall.

"I seriously doubt that." She stated.

"Who are yoo?" Gru questioned. Before she could respond, Dru thundered forward to get closer to the woman, pointing his finger at her in an aggressive fashion.

"I swear to god, Fiona!" He yelled. "Where are de gurls!?"

"Oh, you mean those little urchins you guys adopted?" She inquired, motioning her hand in Gru and Lucy's direction. "I dunno where they are. I think Venin went over to their cell to tell them they're gonna die, but I'm not really sure where that is. Y'know, if you're gonna adopt kids, why don't you adopt ones that are worth your time?"

"Excuse me?" Gru inquired angrily, taking a step forward. Fiona's grin grew wider, showing the pleasure Gru's deathly frown was giving her.

"They're so frustrating!" She exclaimed, rolling her eyes menacingly. "They wouldn't shut the hell up when we were kidnapping them! Not to mention that they're not even cute! I wouldn't be surprised if their real parents are actually still alive. They probably just ditched them in some orphanage so they didn't have to deal with such disappointing children anymore."

The moment those words left her mouth, Fiona felt a strong fist strike her across the head, sending her to the floor with a painful thud. For a few seconds, she was lost in a dizzy daze as her head spun around like a carousel. But eventually, she shook her head free and peered up at the figure looming above her. It was Lucy. And she looked angry.

"Don't you _dare_ call my girls 'disappointing'." She muttered coldly through gritted teeth. Fiona returned an incredibly fiery frown as she felt a small trickle of warm liquid flow down the side of her head. She wiped it up and checked her hand to analyze the liquid, where the sight of fresh blood dripping down her fingers caused her to growl with ire.

"You just made a _big_ mistake, lady." She spoke devilishly. Immediately after, she jumped up into the air to tackle the AVL agent to the ground, pushing herself at her with all of her strength. But as she did so, the redhead quickly dodged and sent a swift kick to Fiona's spine, sending her back to the ground with another thud. She moaned in pain as she laid on the floor, shuffling around as it quickly spread across her entire back.

"Tell me when I should start trying." Lucy mocked, putting her hands on her hips proudly. Fiona growled again as she slowly got back to her feet, shaking violently in anger. Who did this woman think she was? Fiona was one of the best villains out there. No-one could beat her in a fight, this redhead was no exception.

She darted at Lucy, screaming with a loud and threatening war cry as she prepared to tear her very skin to pieces. But, as she got closer, a reminder flickered through her head, making her expression drop. Before this scheme, her only involvement with villainy was sitting behind a desk and talking down to brainwashed IVB agents. After that, she spent two months stacking shelves with cans of food inside a supermarket. Even though she thought highly of herself, she actually had no experience with fighting whatsoever.

But, before she could stop herself, Lucy sent a thundering kick into her abdomen and a blinding uppercut to her chin, sending the former receptionist across the room in a sprawling mess. Upon hitting the floor, Fiona's vision switched to complete black as her consciousness faded entirely.

"Well...that was easy." She said, turning to Gru and Dru with a shrug. Gru smiled victoriously, nodding at his wife proudly, while Dru jumped around the room with a cheer, happy to see Fiona put into her place. Even the bodyguard was clapping impressively.

"Quickly, put her eento de cell." Gru instructed, turning to the bodyguard at speed. He promptly nodded and shuffled over to the unconscious woman, picking her up over his shoulders and throwing her into the dimly lit prison cell. After doing so, he closed the barred door and locked it up with the key, leaving her inside with no hope of escape.

"Woo! We deed eet!" Dru screamed, fist pumping the air. He was clearly beyond elated, struggling to hold back the urge to sing a happy tune in victory.

"Um...Dru?" Gru spoke, looking at him in confusion. "De world ees steel at stake."

"And Venin still has Edith." Lucy added.

"And your kids are still locked in some cell." The bodyguard also added.

"Oh...um...right." Dru said, stopping his dance and turning away awkwardly. "I forgot about dat."

* * *

Gru, Lucy, Dru and the bodyguard sprinted around the halls, passing rooms full of unrecognizable machines and checking through a multitude of empty prison cells. Their hope was slowly depleting with each and every empty room, and as the prison cells were coming to an end, it seemed that the girls were nowhere to be found.

"Dere." Gru said, pointing towards the final room in the corridor. "Dat's de last prison cell."

"What if they're not in there, Gru?" Lucy spoke solemnly, putting her head down. "What if...what if we're too late?"

"Lucy, don't theenk like dat." Gru stated firmly. He turned around and put both hands on her shoulders, staring deep into her eyes in an attempt to calm her down. Even though he wouldn't admit it, he did so to also reassure himself. "Dey must be een dere. Where else would Venin have put dem?"

Doubts were still spinning around Lucy's head at speed, pushing her further towards a very bleak abyss. Maybe Venin decided not to put them anywhere. Maybe he just...got rid of them. But, in order to remove the incredibly dark thoughts, she forced in one final pulse of hope and frowned determinedly. She locked her eyes on to the door and took in a deep breath, trying to hide the bulging fear that was threatening to pour out.

"Okay." She said, nodding at her husband. "Let's go."

The group darted forward and got up to the door, Gru coming to a halt in order to stare directly down at the handle. Just like Lucy, doubts and dark questions flooded his mind, making his heart beat at a higher pace. He took in a deep breath, erasing his unforgiving thoughts, before pleading with pure hope internally.

 _'Please...just let dem be een here.'_ He thought to himself.

And with that, he locked a firm grip on the doorknob and twisted it open, emerging into the dark room outside of the final prison cell. The three quickly spun their gazes to stare through the bars, their hearts almost stopping dead out of fear.

However, to the trio's glee, Margo, Agnes and Jack sat inside. The girls were huddled up in the corner, obviously trying to preserve heat, while Jack held his knees and sobbed in the other corner, rocking himself back and forth in an attempt to calm himself down. The moment they emerged into the room, Margo and Agnes lifted their heads and spied their parents, replacing their dejected expressions with smiles of pure joy.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Agnes yelped with a huge cheer, leaping up and sprinting over to the bars, Margo following on right beside her.

"Hold tight, girls!" Lucy replied. She quickly turned to face the bodyguard with a demanding expression, who took that as a signal to unlock the cell. He darted forward and shoved the key into the lock, twisting until the door flung open. The second they were free, Margo raced over and jumped into Gru, while Agnes did the same to Lucy.

"Thank god yoo're alright." Gru spoke quietly, holding Margo close to him. "Deed de man hurt yoo?"

"No, no, we're fine." Margo replied quickly, pulling away and wiping her eyes with her sleeve. "But...but he has Edith! I think he said he was her-"

"Biological father! We know..." Gru interrupted, putting his head down in another moment of panic. It seemed like every time that sentence was spoken out loud, another chip was burrowed out of his hope and determination. Margo mirrored him in his fear, putting her head down and staring at the floor, being haunted by similar thoughts. Upon noticing her worry, Gru lifted his head again and put a hand on to her shoulder, speaking as softly as his frightened voicebox could allow him to. "But, I promise yoo dat we'll get her back. Dat man weel not get away weeth dis."

"But...how?" Margo questioned, trying her hardest to push back an eruption of tears.

"We'll find a way. We just need to get outta here furst!" He replied, standing back up and turning towards the door. But as he did so, Lucy and Dru motioned their heads back into the cell, electing Gru to shift his gaze in that direction. Jack was still sitting inside, rocking back and forth and crying softly. He hadn't moved an inch since they'd arrived. Did he even know they were there? "What...what's wrong weeth heem?"

"The man wasn't very nice to him." Agnes announced sadly, moving over to stand in front of her father. Gru peered down at her in worry, fearful for what 'wasn't very nice' actually entailed, before she continued. "He yelled at him really loudly."

"He's been crying non-stop for ten minutes." Margo proclaimed, grabbing her dad's attention. Gru looked back over at Jack and watched him. This didn't sound or look like something Jack would do. First of all, he wasn't one to cry after being yelled at. Second of all, he wasn't one to cry in front of people. And last of all, he wasn't one to just sit around when Edith was in trouble. Something was definitely wrong.

"Jack?" Gru spoke, taking a step into the cell. "Um...we're here to save yoo."

Jack didn't respond, nor did he move a single inch. If you didn't know any better, you'd think he was completely deaf. Gru turned his gaze away and remained silent for a few seconds, thinking hard about a way to handle this, shuffling over to stand right beside him.

"What's wrong weeth yoo?" He asked lightly, motioning his hand in his direction.

"What _ISN'T_ wrong with me, Gru!?" Jack yelled, finally lifting his head from his knees. "I'm just a coward, a wuss, a disappointment, and a...a mistake! What's even the point in me being alive anymore!?"

"What!?" Gru exclaimed, twisting his expression as he watched Jack's head fall back down into his knees. "We really don't have time for dis, Jack! Edith ees een danger!"

"I know she is, Gru!" Jack yelled back, keeping his head down. "But she's gone, okay! My dad's got her and that's that! There's nothing I can do!"

"What are yoo on about!?" Gru questioned angrily. What on earth had gotten into him? Where had his usual confidence and determination gone? As he said before, they really didn't have any time for this kind of conversation, considering the looming danger. If Gru didn't get his confidence back soon, the US was as good as destroyed. Another short silence filled the room as the teenager continued to sob, until he eventually lifted his head out of his knees again, looking up at Gru while he trembled uncontrollably.

"I'm scared, Gru..." He whimpered quietly, his voice laced with an audible wisp, proving how close he was to screaming in desperation. Not only had Gru never heard him say that before, but he had also never seen so much fear built up inside his eyes. He looked a lot like that moment in the IVB boss's office, when he was lying on the floor in pain after he'd lost the fight. Gru sighed and slumped down next to him, talking to him like he was a lost child in the middle of the wilderness.

"Why?"

"Because...because..." Jack started, turning away as more tears poured out. "I dunno. It's just... _him_. He always makes me afraid. Whenever he looks at me, or yells at me, or calls me a coward, or...or..."

His voice cut out at that point.

"Or what?" Gru quizzed softly. Jack remained completely silent, putting his head back down again. That nightmare was replaying in his head, making more and more tears fall from his eyes at a ridiculous speed. By the look of dread in his eyes, Gru could tell that making him talk was going to be impossible. He remembered Nefario telling him about that domestic abuse report that supposedly involved Jack and his father, and looking at how traumatized he seemed, he felt like that had something to do with this. "Jack, yoo have notheeng to be afraid of. Your dad might've scared yoo when yoo were a child, but remember, yoo aren't a child anymore. Theenk of all de people yoo've beaten een a fight! I mean, yoo even beat me, and I was fighteeng before yoo were even born! Yoo can easily take your father down, I know yoo can."

His words were encouraging, but even with them, Jack was still visibly afraid and uncomfortable. Gru had tried his hardest, but right now, it looked like Jack was firmly trapped inside his own past. How could he get him out of it? What could he say that would relieve him and pull him back into the present? And then, it clicked. It might not work, but considering the issue that was plaguing him, it was definitely worth a try.

"Or...yoo can answer me a question." He began. "Do yoo consider dat man as your father?"

"No." Jack mumbled instantly, shaking his head. "I...I hate that _man_ with all of my heart."

"So...who _do_ yoo consider as your father?" Gru asked, probing him carefully. Jack slowly turned his head to face him, giving Gru a slightly terrified expression as yet another small silence filled the air.

"Um...well..." He began, shifting his gaze around the room awkwardly. He knew the answer perfectly well, but he was extremely afraid of saying it aloud, in fear of ruining everything again. Life had been hard enough on him as it was, he didn't need it getting any worse. "I guess...uh...I guess I consider... _you_ as my father."

"So den yoo leesten to me," Gru started sternly, yet strangely softly. He put an around Jack's built-up shoulders, talking with him as straight as possible as the teenager watched and listened closely. "Yoo are one of de bravest people I've ever known, de exact opposite to a ' _coward_ '. I don't theenk dat a person who ees willeeng to take on an entire villain organization can be classified as a ' _wuss_ '. I definitely don't consider de person who saved de lives of my wife and daughters as a ' _disappointment_ '. And even though yoo turneeng up at our door and becomeeng a part of our lives was certainly unexpected, I would never, _EVER_ , consider eet a ' _meestake_ '. Yoo are de best son I could've ever hoped for, and...I love yoo."

Immediately after finishing his small speech, Jack wrapped his arms around Gru's neck and hugged onto him, never wanting to let go.

"I love you too-" He began, his voice giving out again before he could finish. But, after a moment of fumbling around with his throat, the final word left his mouth, much to Jack's reluctance. "...dad."

Gru smiled warmly as he put his arms around Jack's back, returning the hug. That was the very first time that Jack had ever called him dad, and it was also the very first time that he had ever told him he loved him. That familiar feeling he got after adopting the girls returned. Even though Jack was seventeen years old and actually larger than him in size, in Gru's eyes, he was still a young kid in need of help. Gru knew he was the one who could provide that help, since he'd done it three times before. Finally, Jack let go and wiped away any remaining tears, grinning in anticipation.

"Anyway...come on!" He exclaimed, standing up and bolting for the prison cell door. Clearly, his confidence was back in full flow. "Edith's in danger!"

* * *

Venin sat in front of the military base's mainframe computer, clicking through a multitude of options and menus as he navigated through the large screen with the mouse. He had been doing so for around five minutes at this point, and he was starting to get a little frustrated and tired of the machine.

Finally, his desired option appeared on the screen, making him grin wildly in excitement. He hit the left-button on the mouse, electing the huge screen to display a large text box which was asking for a code. He inputted the numbers from the president's confidential notepad and hit enter, making the automated computer voice blurt out a message.

" _FIVE MINUTES UNTIL LAUNCH_." It spoke. Venin's grin grew wider as he spun in his seat to face Edith, who was still trapped in the bodyguard's arms, no matter how much she was desperately squirming.

"Did you hear that, Edith?" He inquired, smiling at her as she returned an infuriated frown. "In five minutes, a thousand nuclear bombs will be shot up into the sky, where they'll rain back down upon the entire of the US and kill everyone in sight. But don't worry, because _we'll_ be getting on a helicopter and flying away to another country, all safe and sound. What country do you fancy living in for the rest of your life?"

"This one." Edith replied sternly, giving the bodyguard another kick. However, since she was only kicking with her socks, she was causing him no pain whatsoever. "Jack won't let you get away with this!"

"Pfft...what's he gonna do?" Venin asked, rolling his eyes. "Cry and beg until I stop? Just forget about him, Edith. He's not our family anymore. He's nothing but a huge stain upon a nice clean plate."

"But...he's my brother! How could I just forget him!?" She yelped. Her anger was fading, being replaced with that previous fearful sadness when she remembered how close her entire family was to their deaths. "Why are you leaving him here to...to...die?"

She struggled to finish the question, since the very prospect of her brother _dying_ was enough to make her feel incredibly sick. She remembered that night two months ago when she thought he'd been killed in the backyard. She was over the moon with happiness when she found out he was only unconscious. However, if he stays here when one thousand nukes hit...

...he's going to be much more than just unconscious.

"Because we don't need him, Edith." Venin stated. "Jack was just a mistake. Only _you_ are a part of my family."

Edith's anger returned, making her scrunch her face with a huge frown.

"No, I'm not!" She yelled. "I'm a part of the _Gru's_! That's why I'm called Edith _Gru_!"

"Not anymore you're not!" Venin exclaimed sternly, standing up from his seat to loom over her. "Whether you like it or not Edith, _I'm_ your dad, and you're just gonna have to accept that!"

He spun back around angrily, leaving Edith with an upset frown, as he looked up at the screen. Upon it, the huge timer was counting down, currently reading four minutes and twenty seconds until the nuclear bombs would be launched. He smiled and turned his head to look out of the nearby window. From the base's main tower, you could see all away over to the nearby city, where the noon sun was shining upon it brightly.

"Well, America..." He started. "It looks like this is goodbye..."

* * *

The family and the bodyguard arrived at a wooden double door, which wore a sign upon it that read 'Main Tower'. Through the small rectangular windows built inside the doors, you could see that a large metal staircase was situated behind them, proving that it must be the correct way to ascend into the tower's control room.

"This is where Venin said he was setting off the nukes." The bodyguard stated, pointing at the sign. "It's usually where mainframe computers are kept within army bases anyway."

"Eef yoo say so, den let's go!" Gru exclaimed, nodding at Lucy and Jack. As he went to push the door open, Lucy put a hand on his shoulder and stopped him, looking at him with another worrying expression.

"So if we _do_ stop Venin and get Edith back, then how do we get past those?" She asked, motioning her head behind Gru. The director turned around and found himself facing a large glass window, where a thousand brain-washed soldiers stood on guard. There was no way four adults could take down an entire army. To take down an army, you yourself would need an army.

And then, the solution clicked.

Gru fumbled in his pockets until he latched onto his mobile phone, quickly navigating through his contacts until landing upon 'Derek'. He hit the call button and held the phone up to his ear, as a small click sound emitted from the receiver.

"Ah, director." Derek spoke. "What can I do you f-"

"DEREK!" Gru yelled. "Yoo bumbleeng eediot! Don't tell me yoo half-wits haven't heard de news!"

"Wh...what are you-"

"OF COURSE YOO HAVEN'T!" Gru exclaimed angrily. "De white house was just attacked, a military base was taken over by an entire army, and de AVL director was keednapped, and de organisation eenvolved een protecteeng everyone doesn't have a clue about any of eet! Get over here and save us!"

"Um...o...oka-"

Before he could finish his response, Gru scowled and hung up the phone, quickly turning to push the door open. Jack sent Lucy an odd look, who returned one of pure concern, before following the director in confusion. As they thundered through the doors, Gru came to a halt and put a hand in front of Dru, who looked back at him questioningly.

" _Yoo_ can stay here and look after de gurls."

"What!?" Dru squealed, his eyes widening in shocked anger.

"Yoo heard me." Gru replied. "Eet's goeeng to get very dangerous up dere, so I don't want de gurls getteeng hurt."

"B-But...why _me_!?" Dru exclaimed, stomping his foot aggressively.

"Because I theenk _yoo've_ done enough already!" Gru retorted, frowning. "We can't risk yoo getteeng tricked by Venin again, all because yoo wanna _try sometheeng new_!"

"Dat's not gonna happen, Gr-"

"Dat ees _FINAL_ , Dru!" Gru shouted, pointing a finger at his brother. "Eet ees not up for discussion!"

Dru gave a saddened sigh as he turned away to look at the girls, who looked both afraid and sad. Gru was right. Taking them up there when a multitude of fights were sure to unfold was definitely not a safe decision. It was bad enough that Edith was up there. He turned back to Gru and nodded, talking with a sorrowful tone.

"Hmm...okay." He said.

"Thank yoo." Gru stated, emitting a small sigh of slight relief. He immediately turned around and joined the other three in bounding up the stairs, calling back to his brother as he sprinted as fast as he could. "We won't be long. Dis weel all be over soon."

That statement sent a chill through Dru's spine. It could've been interpreted in two different ways. Either Gru, Lucy and Jack will be quick in saving the world and taking Edith back, or Venin will be quick in setting off the nukes and eradicating the entire United States, him and his family along with it. Only time will tell which one was correct. He turned back to the girls and pointed towards a few nearby chairs, traipsing over to them with a slow trudge.

"Come on, gurls." He said, not looking at them as he sighed unhappily. "Let's wait dis out..."

Gru, Lucy, Jack and the bodyguard thundered their ways up the metal steps, which at the time, seemed neverending as they continued to climb upwards. In reality, there were only around six or seven flights, but the doubts and worries made time go as slow as a snail. Eventually, they reached the entrance to the tower control room, where the four stopped dead and looked at each other gravely.

"So...this is it." Lucy announced.

"Yep." Jack responded, sighing. "It's either get Edith back, or die trying."

"Eet's gonna be fine." Gru reassured, giving his wife and son a nod. "De IVB mission was much harder dan dis."

"Yeah...and I almost died." Jack said, rolling his eyes. "Maybe this time, our luck will run out."

"Jack, we'll be fine as long as yoo remember dis one piece of advice." Gru informed, putting a hand on his shoulder. Jack turned and gave him a confused look, obviously preferring to get the fight over and done with instead of prolonging it with a conversation. "Whatever dat man says to yoo, just remember de theengs dat I told yoo."

Jack put his head down for a second. He felt like a showdown with his biological father was inevitable, and preparing himself beforehand was crucial. He was sure to receive a lot of insults and spirit destroying statements, something that could kill him inside if they were dealt by that man. But Gru was right. All of those insults can easily be undone, by just simply remembering what Gru, his _real_ dad, had said to him. He smiled and lifted his head again, giving him a nod.

"I will...uh...dad." He proclaimed. That word was certainly going to be hard to get used to, but with a little time, Jack knew it would eventually feel comfortable to speak it aloud. As the two gave each other another warm smile, Lucy pushed past them and gripped the door handle, giving Gru and Jack a determined smirk as she momentarily turned back around.

"Let's do this!"

She pushed the door open and emerged into a fairly large room, which was full of computers, control panels, random assortments of furniture, and three colossal windows. Venin sat slumped in a seat right in front of a huge computer screen, which read 'three minutes and ten seconds remaining'. Beside him, the mind-controlled bodyguard still held Edith in a tight hold, a mix of anger and sadness painted across her face.

As the four smashed their way into the room, Venin turned around and glared at them in surprise, as Edith smiled and called them.

"Mom! Dad! Jack!" She shouted. "I knew you'd save me!"

"How did you-" Venin started, getting up from his seat.

"No conversations, Venin." Gru stated coldly, violently shaking as he took a few steps towards him. "Geeve me my daughter back."

" _Your_ daughter?" Venin questioned, frowning aggressively. "This girl is _MY_ daughter! What on earth makes you think that you can just take her away from me!?"

"Because you're supposed to be dead!" Jack spoke, moving forward to stand beside Gru. "If you wanted to keep hold of her rights, you should've thought twice before _FAKING YOUR DEATH_!"

"Oh, and here he is!" Venin said, rolling his eyes as he flung his arm in Jack's direction. "The mistake! Here to ruin my entire life yet again! You're pretty good at doing that, y'know!"

" _SHUT_ up!" Jack shouted, wanting to rip Venin apart with his bare hands. "I'm not taking this anymore! Give us Edith, turn off that countdown, and give yourself up, otherwise, things are gonna get hard for you!"

"Pfft...'cuz that's gonna happen!" Venin said sarcastically, grinning evilly. He turned to his bodyguard promptly and pointed towards a nearby doorway, not offering Edith a single glance. "Put her in the helicopter. I'm gonna stay here for a moment and get rid of our little _problems_."

The bodyguard nodded and turned right, dashing as fast he could for the nearby door, Edith giving one last aggressive squirm as she screamed for help.

"JACK!" She yelled, waving her arms. "QUICKLY!"

Jack growled with ire as he watched her plead desperately, every doubt and worry replacing itself with unbridled aggression and determination. He quickly turned to face Gru and Lucy, giving them a very quick briefing before starting towards the bodyguard.

"Gru, sort Venin out. Lucy, try and turn the countdown off." He instructed. "I've got Edith."

* * *

Jack bolted forward with extreme pace and flung himself at the bodyguard as he attempted to dodge him. But to the teen's surprise, the henchman quickly turned and released one of his hands to punch Jack across the head, sending him sprawling backward painfully.

With one of his hands now released, Edith managed to squirm an arm out of his grasp, which she used to punch the bodyguard in the chin. However, he seemed entirely unfazed by the little girl's attack, electing to look down at her and chuckle evilly, only adding to Edith's already extreme anger. But, as he was turned away, Jack thundered forward and grabbed the bodyguard's arm, pulling it towards him with the most strength he could manage.

Edith immediately fell out of his grasp and stumbled as she landed on her feet, peeking up in time to watch her brother hammer a fierce punch into the bodyguard's nose, instantly breaking the cartilage. The bodyguard was flung backward by the punch, but with a quick shift in direction, managed to stay on his feet. He turned around and eyed the two siblings up maniacally, as a small growl emitted from his voicebox.

"Get over there!" Jack yelled, grabbing Edith's attention by pointing his hand to the far left of the tomboy, who immediately obliged and sprinted away as the bodyguard darted towards the teenager. Jack dodged him at the last second and stuck out his foot, tripping up the mind-controlled henchman and sending him to the ground with a painful thud.

As Jack smirked proudly, the bodyguard shook with rage and didn't waste any time in jumping back to his feet again. He charged at Jack with speed, grabbing the teen's neck and lifting him up into the air, trying to strangle him. However, he didn't expect Jack to strategically spin his body and send a flying kick across his forehead, making the bodyguard's head jerk extremely uncomfortably as he was sent to the floor again.

Jack landed perfectly on his feet as he fell from the bodyguard's grasp, exactly how the IVB had taught him, and immediately picked up a nearby heavy computer monitor. With pinpoint accuracy, he threw it with thundering strength as it smashed across the bodyguard's head, knocking him unconscious while he was trying to get back on his feet.

Edith watched the final blow with an elated smile, Jack returning it as he turned around and moved forward to hug her...

* * *

As Jack sprinted away to rescue Edith, Lucy and the allied bodyguard ran over to the mainframe computer and eyed the screen intently. Currently, it read 'two minutes and twenty seconds remaining', making the two panic as they desperately searched the screen for an answer. Finally, the redhead laid her eyes upon a button at the bottom of the screen, which was titled 'Cancel Launch'. She grinned and navigated the mouse to it.

"So...is that it?" The bodyguard questioned, twisting his expression inquisitively. It didn't seem right to him. It just couldn't be that easy to halt the launch.

"It must be." Lucy exclaimed, as she proceeded to click the left-button and select the option. "I can't see another way."

And then, to their dismay, a large text box appeared, prompting them to input an eight-digit code. Lucy scowled and muttered a curse word under her breath, as she slammed a fist down on to the table.

"Great! Just... _great_!" She blurted, frowning maliciously. "How the hell are we gonna get the code!?"

"If I remember correctly..." The bodyguard spoke, rubbing his chin in thought. "Venin found the code inside a little black notepad that the president wrote up. We need to find that!"

"Well...where could it be?" Lucy asked, giving him a look of pure desperation.

"I'm not sure." He replied, shrugging sorrowfully. "I only saw him find the notepad, I wasn't there to see him use it."

"Ugh...well, let's not waste any time!" Lucy bellowed as she spun her gaze around the desk, scanning the surface closely. The bodyguard lowered down and shuffled through the drawers on the underside of the table, only being met by random assortments of tools, no sign of any notepad. After a full minute of searching, the automated computer voice spoke again, making Lucy and the bodyguard's heart skip a beat.

" _SIXTY SECONDS REMAINING._ "

"We _HAVE_ to find it!" Lucy yelped, as she lifted the keyboard into the air, frantically analyzing the surface below in search of the notepad. But then suddenly, without any prior notice, the desired black notepad flew past her head and landed beside the computer, the AVL agent staring down at it in shock. She didn't have a clue how it was sent across the room, but at that moment in time, she couldn't have cared less.

She leaped forward and grabbed it, using her finger to quickly flip through the pages in search of an eight-digit code. Most of the pages were completely empty, while a few were listed with random assortments of extremely private information. Finally, she landed on a page with ten different eight-digit codes, each one detailed with it's purpose. After a second of scanning it, she found the one labeled 'Nuclear Launch Code', making her squeal with happiness.

" _THIRTY SECONDS REMAINING._ "

She jumped forward and planted her fingers on the keyboard, snatching glances of the page as she desperately typed the number on the screen. Eventually, after a few seconds of panicked number punching, she practically slammed her fist down on the enter key, making the automated computer voice speak for one last time.

" _LAUNCH CANCELLATION SUCCESSFUL._ "

"YES!" Lucy cheered, high fiving the bodyguard, who was practically dancing in celebration. Considering the guy was around 6'6", his gleeful prancing looked extremely odd and unsuited, making Lucy chuckle.

She turned just in time to see Edith on the floor, crying hard...

* * *

As his wife and son darted off in separate directions to complete their individual missions, Gru stayed put and watched Venin as he smirked and approached him, clicking the joints in his neck in preparation. This guy seemed both confident and experienced, something that was intimidating Gru somewhat. But, with enough self-belief, something he definitely possessed, Gru could easily win this fight.

"Well, what are yoo waiteeng for!?" He shouted, holding his arms out. "Come at me!"

By his command, Venin thundered forward with unexpected pace and sent a flying elbow at Gru's head, something the AVL director only just managed to dodge. As Venin steadied himself after missing his initial attack, Gru dived into the villain's side, tackling him to the ground with a hard thump. Gru rapidly sent punches at Venin's head as he sat on top of him, as he desperately tried to dodge them, something he was failing to do.

After a few painful seconds, Venin flung his legs forward and pushed Gru off, allowing the villain to get back on his feet. He quickly eyed Gru as he slowly stood back up, analyzing him closely and biding his time. The former villain didn't waste a single second and threw himself at Venin, only to be met by a very calculated and strong punch, one that sent him into the side of a nearby desk.

Venin took his opportunity and punched Gru multiple times as he laid helplessly on the desk's surface, bruising his face more and more as time went on. After the fifth punch, Gru grabbed Venin's fist and swung for his head, only for the villain to push off and send him over the desk with a painful bump. As he laid on the floor in agony, Venin gave the desk a strong kick, slamming it to the ground and trapping Gru on the floor. As he remained stuck under the table, Venin booted Gru in the stomach and chest, making the director moan in pain.

"You could've at least made it difficult, Gru!" Venin mocked, giving him another kick. With this kick, he didn't notice the black notepad fly out of his trouser pocket, flinging across the room towards the mainframe computer... "Here's some advice, don't mess around with Venin! It only puts you in your grave!"

With that final taunt, a large slam sound snatched his attention, making him shift his gaze in time to watch the computer monitor knock his bodyguard unconscious. He widened his eyes in panic upon realizing that Edith was no longer in his grasp, making him look around the room in fear. He finally lied his eyes upon his young daughter, who was staring at Jack happily as the teen approached her with a hug. Venin bore his teeth in anger and charged towards him, aiming to tackle him in his side before he could get to her.

However, Jack turned and spied him before he could do so, reaching his arm out to grab his biological father's head. With a quick spin, he threw him across the room and into a nearby wall, dropping Venin to the ground in stunned shock as he glared back at his son.

"Not so easy when I'm not six years old, is it?" Jack questioned, grinning victoriously as he watched his father's eyes widen and his mouth fall open. "Just give it up! You've lost!"

Venin watched Jack for a few seconds, lost for words over his sudden strength and power. His son had grown up fast and developed such huge muscles, that fighting him almost seemed unfair. What did he do? It was so much easier when Jack was young and weak. And then, it hit him. He had planned for this very situation. He knew Jack would come along and ruin his plan in some way, so he had a certain weapon developed in order to get rid of him.

"I haven't lost just yet, Jack." Venin muttered, reaching into his back pocket and aiming a metal gun at him. Jack twisted his expression in befuddlement as he did so, looking at the gun with a joking grin.

"Pfft...what kind of gun is that?" He mocked. It looked like some rubbish prop from a cheesy fifties film.

"Oh...not much really. Just a simple mind-control ray." Venin announced slowly, grinning devilishly as Jack's face dropped. He watched in surprise as a purple beam emitted from the barrel, striking him in the head and replacing the world with a dizzy blur. "Forget Edith. Forget that entire Gru family. Erase them from your memory."

Edith's face dropped in terror as the purple beam disappeared, sending Jack to the ground in a heap. If that gun was a mind-control ray, and if Venin had just used those words, then does that mean...?

"JACK!" She yelled, running up to him as he sat on the floor, shaking his head in a daze. She leaped onto his chest and gripped him, looking deep into his confused eyes. "Are you...are you okay?"

Jack narrowed his eyes at Edith, looking at her like she was some sort of mythical being that appeared out of absolutely nothing. He looked up and spun his gaze around the room, stopping once his eyes landed upon Venin, who was just getting onto his feet.

"Dad?" He questioned, giving Edith another glance as she continued to stare at him with a petrified glare. "Why is this kid on top of me?"

"No, no, no, no." Edith whispered pleadingly, hugging her arms around Jack and shaking vigorously, as the tears began to drip from her eyes. "This isn't happening...please..."

"I'm...uh...I'm not sure, Jack." Venin spoke, pretending to act as casual as possible. "Just...come over here. I think she's confusing you with someone else."

"Uh...okay." Jack replied, moving to stand up. But, as he did so, Edith gripped harder onto him, trying to imprison him to the floor so that she couldn't lose him. Her mind was screaming at her, telling her to never let go, but she knew that the inevitable was fast approaching...

...her brother was soon to be gone forever.

"Jack...please..." She whimpered, burying her head into Jack's chest and dampening his shirt with an onslaught of tears. "Please...don't leave me..."

Jack scoffed with anger as his shirt was wettened, looking down at the small girl with a frown. Edith was trying her hardest to keep him glued to the floor, but considering that Jack was much older and much stronger, a simple pull was all it took to get her off, letting her fall to the ground. Even though her small slump to the floor was entirely painless, her heart was suffering in pure agony as she watched Jack walk away, not offering her a single sympathetic glance as she bawled in tears of dread.

"What's happening?" He asked once he'd moved over to stand beside his father. He gave Gru a strange look as he continued to struggle under the table's weight, switching his attention between him and Venin. "Why is that guy stuck under a desk?"

"I did that." He replied valiantly, hiding the pure hatred he possessed for Jack in order to keep up the facade. "He was trying to end the world, so I fought and stopped him."

"Wow." Jack said, nodding his head in admiration. "I gotta admit, dad, you really are a great fighter...

Venin nodded back happily, turning away awkwardly when he realized how wrong this felt. He couldn't speak to Jack. He hated this frustrating kid. He was just a mistake that clouded his life and wouldn't leave him be, no matter how many times he tried to get rid of him.

"...it's a pity you're as dull as a bag of rocks."

With those words, Venin's eyes widened in dreaded surprise as Jack's fist hammered the mind-control ray out of his hand, smashing the weapon in to pieces. Before he could react, Jack sent Venin to the ground with a strong push, making him hit the floor with another painful bump. Edith lifted her head with the sound of the gun's smash, spying Jack as he attacked their biological father. She was unable to hold back her huge smile of pure relief. Venin looked up at his son in confusion as he loomed over him, staring at him quizzingly.

"How...how did you-"

"It's a mind-control ray, you dunce!" Jack exclaimed, clenching his fists and shaking violently. "You can't trick a mind into forgetting things! If you wanted to do that, you should've used a memory eraser!"

Venin cursed loudly as Jack dived for him, only managing to dodge his tackle at the last moment as he jumped up and sprinted for the doorway. Jack growled and chased after him, stopping momentarily to throw the desk off of Gru's body, releasing him from his imprisonment.

Edith watched as her biological father and brother disappeared through the doorway, still holding a huge elated smile of relief. The tears were still flowing from her eyes, but this time, they were tears of pure joy. Her brother was perfectly fine and still remembered her. How could she ever be more relieved than in this moment? As she continued to sit there, crying happily, Lucy sprinted over and picked her up, catching her off guard as she hugged her close.

"Thank god you're okay." She muttered, as Edith closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Lucy's neck. She quietly sobbed, burying her head down into her shoulder, making Lucy choke up and almost doing the same. Soon, Gru slowly trudged over and joined the hug, putting his arms around the two of them softly.

How many times had things almost gone wrong in Edith's life? There were a lot to count through. When her parents left her, when Miss Hattie practically tortured her, when Vector kidnapped her, when the purple minions almost got her, when Bratt kidnapped her and put her on top of a huge building, when the IVB agents tried to kill her and her family, and now this. People who have normal lives don't have a list of life-threatening situations that they'd been through. But, even though she had almost been killed several times with this family, there wasn't a chance on earth that she would trade them in for a _normal_ one.

All she needed was Jack to come back safe and sound, and everything would be perfect again...

* * *

Venin slammed through the doorway and sprinted up a small flight of metal stairs, Jack chasing after him at the same speed. After a few seconds of step climbing, Venin practically booted the blocking door down, emerging on to the roof. Stationed on the tower's helipad, was the helicopter that he was going to use to fly Edith away with him as the entire US exploded in a huge mushroom cloud. But now, she was back with that... _other_ family, and the US was no longer destined to explode.

He sprinted over to jump into the pilot's seat, only to come to a halt when spying the huge scene going on upon the army base's perimeter. The AVL had arrived, and they were storming the base quickly with a huge army of agents. The brainwashed soldiers were no match when it came to the AVL employees, considering the organization carries some insanely dangerous weaponry.

"Ugh...can't something just go right!?" He exclaimed. Just as he turned back to jump in the helicopter, Jack grabbed him by the collar and threw him to the roof's floor, ensuring he was standing between him and the aircraft's door.

"Now..." He started, stopping for a moment to shake and clench his fists in a pure bout of aggression. " _Now_ you've lost!"

Venin peered up at his teenage son as he stood over him dangerously. He couldn't fight him, he had no mind-control ray, and he carried no actual weapons that could harm him. It really seemed like he had lost. What could he do to beat him? And then...the answer appeared. I mean, what else had he been doing for the first ten years of Jack's life.

"Pfft...I highly doubt that." Venin retorted, watching as Jack continued to tremble in a fiery pit of anger. "To win, you have to actually be brave and strong! But considering how much of a _COWARD_ and a complete _WIMP_ that you are, you just simply can't win! Maybe you should just throw yourself of this roof! No one will miss you! Especially not me, your own father, who would be _A LOT_ happier if you just _DIED_!"

Jack closed his eyes and dropped his head for a second. Those words hit him hard again. That same moment eleven years ago replayed again. The deafening urge to cry until the end of time reappeared again. But, unexpected words flooded his mind, forcing his eyes to reopen and allowing his emotions to sooth themselves in a comfortable blanket.

 _"Yoo are de best son I could've ever hoped for, and...I love yoo."_

"You're not my father, you utter waste of time." Jack retorted dangerously, clearly shocking Venin with those words. He was standing up to him. This can't happen. This shouldn't happen. Why was it happening? Jack was usually deathly afraid of him. Why wasn't he now!? "When you died, I tried my hardest to forget that you even existed, so that I could try and live a happy life. And then, when I got Edith back, I knew that it would be much easier to do so. But you just _HAD_ to come along to try and ruin everything again, didn't you!? You kept on haunting my dreams, forcing me into reliving that moment when you tried to kill me, and that moment when I woke up in the hospital! It's been absolutely horrible, to the point where it's tearing me apart and making me do things I don't usually do! And then, you decide that's not enough, and try to take the best thing in the world from me again! Well, do you know what!? You can't have Edith! She's nothing to you anymore! She would be a lot happier... _IF YOU WERE JUST DEAD_!"

He bent down and picked Venin up by his collar, the villain desperately squirming as Jack gritted his teeth and shook ferociously.

"What...what are you doing!?" He yelled.

"Ending this once and for all!" Jack exclaimed, as he slowly approached the edge of the roof. "You made my entire childhood a living hell, you tried to kill me, you abandoned Edith in an orphanage, you tried to kill my new family, and then you attempt to take Edith away from me _AGAIN_! In my eyes, no-one else deserves to die as much as you do!"

"What...what do you me-"

Before he could finish, Jack hung Venin over the edge of the tower and let go of his collar, turning around and making his way back to the door as his former father's pleads drowned out.

"NOOOoooo..."

* * *

Fiona's eyes fluttered open as the sounds of shouting and running forced her awake. She shuffled around on the cold concrete floor, soothing her anguished forehead as the door outside of the prison cell slammed off its hinges. She quickly lifted her head and watched as several AVL agents poured into the room, halting and watching Fiona carefully as she stared back at them in confusion.

The memories came back. That redhead knocked her unconscious, and while she was knocked out, must've locked her inside the prison cell. Even though she did beat her, Fiona was not that easy to get rid of. With some simple manipulation, she could easily get herself out of this sticky situation and back to terrorizing the entire world with her devilish antics.

"Help!" She exclaimed, scampering up to the bars as the agents eyed her closely. "Venin kidnapped me and trapped me in this cell! You gotta get me out! I have a family!"

"Nice try, Fiona." Derek said, crossing his arms. "But this time, we've done our Venin research."

"What do you mean!? Get me outta he-"

Before she could finish, Derek zapped her with his taser gun, knocking the former receptionist unconscious yet again. The agents quickly fumbled with the lock, using a few melting tools to grade away the metal, until the door swung open and created an entrance to the cell. Derek strutted inside and looked down at her unconscious body, now knowing she was partly responsible for the death of his best-friend Nigel, before motioning to his fellow agents.

"Take her in, boys!"

* * *

Jack practically smashed the door down as he barged his way back into the tower control room, immediately grabbing Edith's and his parents' attention. The tomboy smiled with elation and jumped from her mom and dad, running over to her brother at pace.

"Jack!" She yelled happily, as he bent down and scooped her up into his arms.

"There you are!" He exclaimed with an evident cheer, chuckling as she wrapped her tiny arms around his neck and buried her head into his shoulder. As she did so, Jack was reminded of just how small and fragile she was. Sometimes, she talked and acted so much older, that he forgot just how young she really was. It almost made him want to cry uncontrollably, the fact that his little sister had gone through all of this fear yet again, both from being kidnapped and from his unneccasary yell. It made him feel weak inside.

He also felt insanely guilty. Not only because of this morning's loud shout, but also because of the way he treated her after being hit by the mind-control ray. When she was holding onto him and crying into his chest, he felt an incredible amount of sadness and empathy inside, feelings he was forced to hold back in order to keep up the act. He really wished he didn't have to, as the guilt he was experiencing now was almost unbearable. He would spend the rest of eternity apologizing if he had to, he was just glad she was safe in his arms.

"I...I thought I lost you." She murmured after a full minute of warm silence. Jack immediately pulled her out of the hug and looked into her damp eyes, talking softly with a very comfortable tone.

"Edith, no matter what happens..." He began, the tomboy listening closely. "I will always be your brother."

She smiled widely again and hugged him for the second time, Jack returning it immediately. There were still a few things that needed solving, such as the issue with Violet and the whole job thing. But right now, all of those things can wait, because when Edith is in his arms...

...nothing else matters.

* * *

 _And there's the end of Chapter Twelve._

 _WOO! We hit 100k words! I know that means nothing to you, but to me that's INSANE! I've always been the lazy type of person, preferring to procrastinate instead of actually working, so the fact that I could push myself into writing a 100k word story is awesome!_

 _We have one more chapter left before another one of my fanfics comes to an end. Thanks a lot if you've made it this far, you really are awesome if you have. Please consider reviewing if you enjoyed._

 _Will return with the final chap soon._


	13. The Best Day of My Life

_Wow. It's now been over two months since I released Chapter Twelve. I gotta apologize for that. I kinda lost interest in the ending to this story, but just so that I can get it off my plate and start working on other DM stories, I've finally decided to finish it._

 _Also, I've been busy re-writing the original Down The Bloodline, so that it fits with my new writing style. I've got six chapters re-written so far, and I feel that story has already improved A TONNE. Anyway, I hope this last chapter doesn't disappoint…_

* * *

 **Chapter Thirteen -**  
 _ **The Best Day of My Life**_

Dru stared out the living room window, watching a few young children play on the street. He felt an overwhelming sense of guilt. Because of him, those children, who were lost inside the story of their make-believe game, almost lost their lives.

What kind of person did that? A terrible one. A beyond evil one.

Somehow, even though he had been striving to gain that kind of status since the beginning, the fact that he now obtained it made him feel absolutely awful.

He gave a long huff before looking down to the floor, a harsh sulk drawn across his expression. Thankfully, Gru, Lucy, and Jack had managed to save the world from his mistakes and stop Venin before it was too late, rescuing Edith in the process. He wished he could've helped in doing so, as now, he felt like garbage. He needed to make it up to them somehow, to show that he wasn't the disgusting person his entire family must think he is, but how?

And then, startling Dru slightly, a small squeaky voice sounded from behind him, grabbing his attention.

"Uncle Dru?" Agnes spoke, traipsing across the room to the blonde villain, firmly clutching her unicorn toy. "Are you okay?"

"Oh...um...yes, I'm fine, Agnes." Dru replied, nodding reassuringly. He gave a fake smile, one of which only lasted for a second, before turning back to look out of the window with his previous upset pout.

"You don't look fine." She said, moving to stand right beside him. Dru turned and looked down at the small girl. From what he'd heard from his brother and sister-in-law, Agnes held knowledge that stretched far beyond her years, even if she still definitely acted her age.

Supposedly, if it wasn't for Agnes, Gru and Lucy wouldn't even be together right now. He sighed and confessed, deciding to give Agnes a shot at helping him out.

"I feel guilty." He admitted, shrugging. "De world was almost ended because of me and all de stupeed stuff I deed."

"But it wasn't you," Agnes replied, moving closer to her uncle. "It was that really really horrible man."

"Yeah, but...I helped heem." Dru replied, clenching his fists in frustration. Saying this aloud made him feel even worse. "Because of me, dat bad man knew how to get to Edith. She was almost taken because of what I deed!"

For a few seconds, there was silence, which only added to Dru's guilt. Now that his thoughts had been translated into a damning confession, he felt even worse. Even though he couldn't see her, Dru predicted that Agnes's expression was one of disgust.

But, that's when he remembered who Agnes was. She would be willing to give everyone on earth a second chance, since she was just too nice to stay mad at people.

"Well, did you mean to?" She asked innocently. Dru turned and looked down at her in confusion.

"Of course, I deedn't." He stated softly, shaking his head firmly. "I…I would _never_ mean to do dat."

That statement caused Dru to turn away again. He may tell himself that he would never do that, but the cold truth was, that he _did_ do that. He almost caused the end of the world. He almost put Edith in a very horrible situation. He almost ended his own family's lives. Every time those thoughts crossed his mind, the guilt elevated another level higher.

Why did he have to be so _selfish_!?

"Then, that's okay." Agnes chirped happily, cutting off Dru's thoughts by emitting a wide smile. "One time, I broke one of daddy's vases, and I was really scared when he found out because I thought he would be mad at me. But he said it was okay, 'cause I didn't mean to break the vase, and that it was just an accident. If _you_ didn't mean to do all those bad things, then you shouldn't feel sad, because it was just an accident."

Dru's eyes widened and he turned to her. Her story may have been incredibly innocent, but in some way, it soothed his guilt tenfold. This child must have some sort of superpower or something. With only a few sentences, she made Dru feel a million times better, even though she was only six years of age. He smiled and kneeled down to her level.

"Thanks, Agnes." He said, as the tiny girl grinned proudly. "Yoo've made me feel a lot better."

"That's okay." Agnes responded, bouncing in a giddy fashion. She soon jumped into Dru's chest, hugging him tightly. "I love you, Uncle Dru. Thanks for saving me from the bad man."

Dru's smile grew even wider, wrapping his arms around her back in return. The need for extra spice in his life was long gone at this point. If villainy gets boring as a job, then so be it. Because at the end of the day, having his family there reversed all of the boredom immediately, resetting him for another day. All he needed in life were those six people, all of whom could provide all the spice in life that he desired.

"I love yoo, too."

* * *

Gru strolled into the AVL's security room, where yet again, a multitude of agents were littered around computers and desks, researching up on the next potential threat to humanity. He started towards the interrogation rooms, where inside, Fiona was awaiting questioning.

However, once Gru had arrived, there would be no questioning of the sort. He didn't need any more answers. The fact that she'd assisted some villain in attempting to blow up the entire United States was enough reason to put her inside the underwater prison cells for life. In fact, her attempt at hurting Lucy at the army base was plenty enough reason in Gru's mind.

He pushed his way into interrogation room A, and sure enough, there sat Venin's old accomplice, strapped helplessly to a wooden chair. She snarled when the director entered the room, electing to turn away with the roughest of frowns.

"Don't even bother questioning me." She sneered. "I ain't telling you squat."

"I don't really care," Gru replied aggressively, taking a few steps towards her. "I've got all de eenformation I need."

Fiona huffed in exasperation, as if she was simply bored and didn't understand the severity of the situation she was in. Maybe she didn't realize that, after this little chat, she would be spending the rest of her life inside some dark, underwater prison cell. Gru couldn't wait to break the news.

"So, let me guess," Fiona started. "You defeated Venin."

"Maybe." Gru replied, smirking evilly. Fiona simply rolled her eyes.

"I knew I shouldn't have gone along with it." She stated. "That plan was just too convoluted for three villains to carry out, especially when one of them is as dull as a bag of rocks."

"How deed yoo even start workeeng weeth heem?" Gru asked, narrowing his eyes.

"What did I just say!" Fiona snapped angrily. "I ain't telling you _squat_!"

"Fine. I don't care." Gru replied, shrugging. "Whether yoo tell me or not, dis ees steel gonna end de same way."

Fiona stared right through Gru with a fiercely angry gaze. He did have a point. She was almost one-hundred percent sure she was going to be either jailed or executed, so why not go out with a long back-story?

"It all started thirty years ago." She started, lowering her head. Listening closely, Gru sat down on a nearby chair and leaned back, genuinely interested in what started this whole predicament. "My parents wanted me to get some stupid part-time job with this law-firm, but that sounded boring as all hell. So, I started looking for a more enthralling job, something that would actually be fun to do. And soon enough, I found this opening for a receptionist at some big, anonymous company, and it peeked my interest. I inquired about it, and they said they'd get back to me, so I awaited their response. The next day, a bunch of these men arrived at my house and kidnapped me. They took me to this big, underground facility and forced me to work behind a desk. I'm not too sure what happened to my parents. I think they were killed."

"Woah." Gru replied, his eyes wide-open. He wasn't expecting that kind of answer. "And...yoo just let eet happen."

"Yeah." Fiona said, shrugging. "The job was alright, and I didn't really care for my parents anyway. In fact, I've never really cared for anyone. I guess that's why I thought I'd work out as a villain."

She dropped her head solemnly. She hadn't really thought about it until now, but her life was actually kinda sad. Nothing ever seemed to work out for her, and every night was spent alone inside some standard looking town-house with very little money to live off of and an abundance of excitement or meaning.

She wished she hadn't thought about it.

"So, how deed yoo and Venin meet?" Gru inquired.

"Well, after that stupid IVB agent betrayed the company and started fighting against us, the boss decided to fire me because he was planning on moving the whole headquarters to another country." She explained. "So, I was forced to start working at some stupid supermarket for a few months, until eventually, Venin found me and recruited me for his plan. I still wish I wasn't sacked from the IVB though, cuz then, none of this would've happened. I never trusted that bratty agent from the beginning."

"Wait...are yoo talkeeng about Jack?" Gru questioned.

"Yeah, that's him." Fiona growled, frowning with pure rage. "Let me guess, he had a hand in stopping me and Venin, didn't he?"

Gru simply nodded.

"Ugh, I knew it." Fiona said with a sigh. "He has a habit of ruining people's lives, ya know that?"

Getting defensive for his new son, Gru sat up and put a finger in her face, becoming tired of hearing this same excuse over and over again.

"No, he doesn't actually!" He barked. "Here's a lesson for yoo, Fiona! Eef yoo'd just stuck weeth your parents and gone through weeth dat job, yoo wouldn't have gotten een to dis mess! Eef Venin had just stuck weeth his kids and deedn't ditch dem for a life of villainy, he wouldn't have gotten heemself killed! Eef Dru had just stuck weeth a normal life of villainy, he wouldn't have almost destroyed de entire US! None of eet ees Jack's fault! Dis problem ees on your own back! Just be happy for de life yoo've got, because dere are others out dere who aren't as fortunate as yoo! Unfortunately for yoo, yoo're now one of dose people. Enjoy your new life!"

Sighing sorrowfully, Fiona lowered her head and turned away as Gru stormed out of the room. Slamming the door, he turned to a nearby agent and spoke up, gathering his attention.

"Take her down to de underwater base." He stated. "Ensure she's placed eenside de preeson."

The agent nodded promptly and nodded his head at a few other nearby agents. They all hurried into the room, ready to take Fiona to her new home. As Gru made his way for the exit door, Derek came hurrying up to him, beaming with a bright smile as he did so.

"Great job on the Venin case, sir." He stated happily, making Gru grin proudly. "I don't think Valerie could've done any better herself. It's just...unfortunate we couldn't stop him before...what happened to Nigel."

"Yes." Gru replied sadly, looking away for a moment. He also wished he could've avoided any deaths on this mission. Having co-workers die was something incredibly saddening, and if it was any other job on earth, he would never have to experience it. Shaking himself out of his small daze, Gru turned back to Derek and lifted his head, trying to look as authoritative as possible. "So...was dere sometheeng yoo wanted?"

"Um...yes...actually." Derek began, turning away awkwardly. "I...uh...I just wanted to ask...now that you don't have an assistant...were you thinking of hiring a new one?"

Gru hadn't really thought about it, but now that Derek had mentioned it, he realized that it would be necessary. Having an assistant is something incredibly important when you're the director of a huge organization like the AVL, and now that Nigel was gone, he was in need of a new one.

"Hmm...I guess dat would be a good idea." He stated, nodding.

"Great!" Derek cheered. "Uh...do you have anyone particular in mind?"

Derek stared at him with an almost pleading expression, hoping sincerely that Gru would turn around and grant him assistant status. I mean, he surely deserved it. Derek was the one who sent the whole AVL to save him at the army base, and he was also the one who apprehended Fiona. Who else deserved the assistant status more than him?

"Yes, actually, I do." Gru stated, nodding again. Turning away from him, Gru started towards the exit door once again, leaving Derek standing there without a clear answer. The AVL agent continued to stay deadly still, hoping that he would turn back around and give him the good news.

But, as Gru left the security room with a slam of the door, Derek was left with his answer.

"Uhh...I guess I'm not the one, huh."

* * *

Violet stood on her front lawn, rummaging through a multitude of boxes that were labeled with her name. She was ensuring that each possession she needed was inside, and sure enough, it did seem that way.

As she did so, Charlie came waddling out the front door, a box held firmly in his grasp. He moved over and placed it beside another eight boxes, all of which were all labeled with his name.

"Jeez, Charlie." Violet spoke, grabbing her brother's attention. "How do you have _that_ many boxes?"

"Well, where else is all the Unseen Hunter stuff gonna go?" He asked, proceeding to scratch a spot just beneath the bandage on his nose. Violet simply rolled her eyes and turned back to her boxes, but as she did so, a certain someone caught her gaze.

"Uh...hi." Jack greeted awkwardly, shrinking down in himself as he stood just in front of her. Violet huffed and turned away again, crossing her arms in the process.

"What are _you_ doing here?" She asked aggressively, refusing to make eye-contact.

"Um...just wondering what all this is about." He spoke, pointing at all the many boxes littered across the lawn. Scowling, Violet turned back around and gave him an intense stare, one of which tore right through Jack like a knife on butter.

"What do you think!?" She snapped, pointing behind him. Jack turned around and spied a large white van, which had the words 'Move-It' printed in red block text on the side. Clearly, it was a moving van.

"Oh." Jack spoke solemnly, turning back to his ex-girlfriend. "So...you're moving again, huh?"

"Mm-hmm." Violet replied angrily, cocking her head to the side. "Things haven't been too great since we've moved here. My job interview yesterday flopped because I was too angry to concentrate, my brother had his nose broken by some little brat when he tried to be nice, and some... _psychopath_ threatened to kill my entire family!"

"Uh...yeah...sorry about that." Jack mumbled.

"Hmph." Violet huffed, turning her head away, clearly refusing to accept the apology. "So our parents thought it would be a good idea to move back to Vermont. I guess it was... _nice knowing you_."

You didn't need to be a genius to recognize the obvious sarcasm in her voice.

"Right..." Jack said, rubbing his shoulder as Violet continued to hand him a death stare. "Look, I didn't really mean those threats I said, okay. I just...I get angry when people say something bad about my family."

"Well, surprisingly, _I_ get angry when people break my family's noses!" Violet exclaimed, her frown looking completely impenetrable.

"Uh...I guess...that's fair enough." Jack murmured, shrugging again. Putting his head down, he decided upon keeping himself silent this time. He'd tried apologizing, but judging by the layer of aggression plastered across her face, he was clearly unsuccessful. And what did it matter? If she was moving away, then who cares if she forgives him or not?

For some reason, _he_ seemed to care.

"Anything else!?" Violet snapped, crossing her arms in anger.

"Uh...yeah actually..." Jack replied softly, attempting to keep his composure. He despised it when someone mouthed off to him, but if he got himself angry and said another thing that he would surely regret, then he wouldn't solve anything. "I just wanted to say...I really enjoyed the time we spent together."

Jack promptly dropped his head. Making eye-contact would make this entire confession harder to speak.

"Like, I _really_ enjoyed it." He continued. "You've made this past week pretty awesome. No other girl has ever made me feel... _like that_...before. If you gotta go then...I understand...I made a pretty big mistake. But I just want you to know that...even though we didn't have that much time together...I...I'll really miss you. Guess I'll...see you around."

Jack was thankful no-one was watching this, apart from Violet of course. Not only was that entire speech extremely lame, but the tears stinging the back of his eyes made him feel like some stupid little wimp. This was completely against his entire personality, and for whatever reason, it made him feel like complete and utter garbage.

Sighing, he turned around and took his first step back towards the pavement, wanting to just get back home as soon as possible. But, catching him completely off guard, Violet ran over and grabbed both his shoulders, spinning him back around like a bottle top.

Without any warning, Violet pressed her lips against Jack's, almost making the teenage boy cough in disgust. Upon realizing what was happening, Jack's first instinct was to pull away and try to stop himself from throwing up all over her lawn.

But...he just couldn't. He simply stood there, allowing the kiss to continue.

The next few seconds lasted almost an eternity in Jack's mind, and when she finally pulled away, disappointment flooded him like a tsunami. His mouth fell completely awake and the shock was practically paralyzing him. It wasn't the fact that she'd kissed him that was causing the shock, instead it was the fact that he enjoyed it.

"Goodbye, Jack." Violet spoke, sniffing a little as she choked on her words. Turning around at speed, the teenage girl hurried back up her front steps and into her house, actually and figuratively disappearing from Jack's life.

For a whole minute, Jack simply stood there, gawking at thin air. He tried to turn around and start towards his house again, but his legs refused to co-operate, as if they were trapped in a thick block of concrete.

He felt like an entirely different person. It was like someone had broke inside his mind and shuffled the wires around, changing every aspect of what made him Jack. How could one, stupid little kiss make that happen? He really had no clue.

Finally, he broke out of the trance, and like a flash of lightning, all the wires in his brain re-aligned. Shaking his head free, he spun his gaze around the entire neighborhood, ensuring that he was indeed all alone in the street.

Shrugging, Jack smiled and spoke to himself, saying the words that kept his casual personality alive.

"That was cool." He stated, turning back towards the pavement.

* * *

Jack was lying dead still in bed, staring at the ceiling intently. He had been lying there for two and a half hours at this point, but no matter how hard he tried, his brain wouldn't doze off. There were just too many things on his mind, all of them seemed to revolve around Violet in some way. They were all dominating his thoughts, making it impossible to slip out of consciousness.

After a few more minutes of staring, he turned his head to look around the room, hoping that doing something fairly tedious will aid in sending him off to sleep. He stared at the small lick of the hallway's light seeping from underneath his door. The way the small shine mixed with the blinding darkness made the room contrasted and peaceful, not seeming to help him in drifting off.

With a frustrated huff, he turned over and looked out of the window. The stars glistened lightly and the breeze wafted softly, the hushed tone adding a huge sense of relaxation to the room. Yet, it was not working. He was still wide awake, with no sign of enveloping sleep anywhere on the horizon.

And then, the room was suddenly illuminated, catching Jack's attention from the night sky. He turned over again and squinted as the hallway light fully flooded his surroundings, the half-open door casting a shadow over the floor. Coupled with the light, a small pink figure strolled into the room, peeking their head to spy the room's interior.

"Jack?" The figure whispered. "You awake?"

It wasn't particularly difficult to realize who the voice belonged to.

Jack lifted his head a little and allowed his eyes to adjust to the light, finally making the figure out completely.

"Edith?" He replied, confusion overlaying his expression. He quickly rolled up the sleeves of his black onesie and inspected his digital watch. The time read '11:49PM', not a time when a nine-year-old girl should still be awake. He chuckled and looked back at her, sitting up completely to provide an invitation. "It's still not midnight. You're not ten just yet."

"Yeah...I know." Edith informed quietly, nodding her head as she slowly trudged into the room. She put her head down and stared at the carpet, giving a little shrug as Jack inspected her closely. "I just...couldn't sleep."

Jack continued to glare at her inquisitively, as she uncomfortably shuffled her feet on the floor. Something was obviously wrong, and considering the events of yesterday, that really wasn't much of a surprise. He gave a small huff, pushing the duvet off as he moved to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Me neither." He said, lightly patting the spot next to him, inviting her to sit down. Edith lifted her head and accepted the invitation, quickly shuffling over and propping herself up beside him. "It's hard to sleep when you've got stuff on your mind."

Edith nodded and stared at the floor again, filling the room with silence. There were many things Jack wanted to say, but for some reason, they weren't leaving his mouth. He'd gone over this exact conversation in his mind, the apology for the yell, and he was fairly sure he could navigate it sufficiently. But yet, he remained completely mute.

Edith simply sat there, listlessly swaying her feet back and forth as she lost herself in deep thought. After a few seconds, she sighed and questioned him, not looking up from the floor.

"So...was that really our dad?" She asked. Jack turned away completely, pondering the question. Not anymore he wasn't. _Gru_ was their dad. A much, much better dad. But, as much as you _are_ allowed to choose your family figures, you're _not_ allowed to chose who's biologically related to you, even if you wanted to.

God, how much he wished he could. Then he could've started with this great family right from the beginning.

"Uh...yeah." Jack replied, nodding with a solemn sigh. Images of what could've happened flashed in his mind. What if he, Gru and Lucy had failed in stopping Venin? Chances are, his whole family would be dead, the USA would cease to exist, and Edith would be forced into living a life with one of the worst men to ever grace the planet.

The very thought raised Jack's heart rate, giving him the urge to hold Edith in an eternal hug, where she would be completely safe from harm.

"And...did you-" Edith began. Jack immediately interrupted her, lightly grabbing her shoulder and electing her attention. He knew how she was going to finish that question, and he wanted to provide the answer as quick as possible.

"Edith..." He said softly, yet extremely firmly, as she quickly turned her head to face him. "I _had_ to, okay. That man tried to take you away from me again, and I wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing he was still out there. If I didn't get rid of him, he might've come back and succeeded in taking you away. I just...there's no way I can let that happen."

Edith nodded again, putting her head back down. She understood the reasoning completely, but it still felt a little weird. She absolutely hated that guy for what he said and tried to do to her family, even if he seemed to care for her, so she was glad he was gone forever. But, the fact that her own brother killed her biological father made her feel uneasy, even if it was justified.

Now that words were finally leaving his mouth, Jack was confident in continuing the conversation sufficiently. He opened his mouth to let out the apology, but as he did so, Edith butted in and beat him to it, not making eye-contact with her brother as she sat there uncomfortably.

"I'm...I'm _sorry_ for what I said, Jack..." She whispered with a wince. Apologizing was never her strong suit. "I didn't mean it when I said you weren't my brother. You're...you're the _coolest_ brother ever. I just got a little angry, I guess."

"Pfft...don't you dare apologize." Jack retorted jokingly, a small smirk emerging on his features. "You have nothing to apologize for. _I'm_ the one who has to apologize. This was all my fault. I was being silly by calling you annoying. I mean, you're the best thing in the world to me, and that will never ever change. I guess...I've just...been feeling weird recently and...I didn't realize that I was being a really bad brother. I'm really, really sorry for that."

"What do you mean you've been feeling weird?" Edith asked, the intrigue forcing her into making eye-contact. Jack's expression dropped, turning away uncomfortably. Edith really didn't need to know about this. This was a very sensitive topic, and even though getting it all out in the open would help a lot, telling a nine-year-old these kinds of stories is just not cool.

"Uh...it's complicated." Jack said, shrugging. "Just know that I haven't been feeling like myself and...it's been making me really upset."

"Oh. Um...okay." Edith replied, not knowing what else to say. She'd apologized, he'd apologized. There was no need to say anything else. But, Edith hadn't spent much time with her brother as of late, so just a small conversation with him sounded pretty fun. "Remember when...I woke up really early a few days back, and we talked in the hallway?"

"Yeahhhh..." Jack said, nodding as he narrowed his eyes questioningly.

"Well, I'd had this really bad nightmare about you." Edith explained. Jack immediately looked concerned. A nightmare about him, considering the things that had happened to him over the past two months, would never be good. "This bad man was taking me away, and you didn't seem to care, even when I cried out really loud. I was really worried when, y'know, someone _actually_ came to take me away, 'cuz I thought you wouldn't save me. Uh...especially after you yelled at me."

"Oh..." Jack spoke, putting his head down. Now the guilt was hitting him harder than it had before. If he'd known any of that, there wasn't a chance on earth he would've yelled at her. Why did he have to be such an idiot? "Well, you know that nightmare's not true? You know I'll always be there to save you, right?"

"Yeah, I know." Edith said, nodding happily. "It just...scared me, that's all. How come _you're_ never scared?"

"What?" Jack questioned, giving his little sister a confused glare.

"Well, y'know..." Edith replied, shrugging. "You're never ever scared of anyone or anything. I've only ever seen you scared once, and that's after...what that _man_ said."

Man was probably a better label for Edith to use. If she just refused to accept the fact that he was her actual dad, then maybe it would remain untrue.

"Well...that's not really true, Edith." Jack replied, turning away awkwardly. This conversation was a little uncomfortable for him. When you spend most of your teenage years training for the IVB, you learn to push your fears deep down, in order to hide them from enemies and prevent them from being used against you. "You see...I get scared a lot, actually."

"You do?" Edith questioned, lifting her head up in surprise. "Of what?"

"Well, there a lot of things." Jack stated, taking a breath. "I'm really afraid of losing any of you. I'm really afraid of saying the wrong thing. I'm also really afraid of having a nightmare. They always seem so... _vivid_ , and it terrifies me."

"Oh." Edith replied, turning away in thought again.

"What makes you ask?" Jack inquired, cocking his head to the side. Edith turned back around and looked at Jack fearfully, wanting to discontinue the conversation. But, if her brother managed to come clean and admit his own fears, then surely she could do the same.

"Well...I guess..." She began. Dropping her head completely, she finally let the words out. "I guess I wish I was more like you."

For a few seconds, Jack could only stare down at her and smile. Sometimes, like in this moment, the realization that his sister was back in his life and the fact that she genuinely seemed to care about him hit him like a speeding train.

Chuckling, Jack put his arm around Edith and tried to comfort her, since the sight of her sadness was the one thing in life he hated above anything else.

"Edith, I'm _glad_ you're not more like me." He said, as the soon to be ten-year-old lifted her head up and glared at him questioningly. "There are a few things that genuinely suck about me, and I would hate it if you had to go through the same rubbish I had to. Just...keep being _you_. I mean, that's the little sister I fell in love with in the first place."

Beaming brightly, the two siblings shared another large hug, putting all the events of the past few days behind them once and for all. However, in this time, Jack had learned a valuable lesson.

The events of the past doesn't matter. Yes, things used to suck, and yes, there are some memories that will forever remain engraved inside his mind. But, in the end, all that matters is the present, and right now, everything is pretty damn good.

He has his sister back, he has a mom and dad who actually care, he has two more siblings who are just as cool, he has a crazy blonde uncle who is as mischievous as he is loving, he has an army of yellow cousins who will not stop at explosions to keep everyone safe, and he has the knowledge that no past events will come to ruin it.

I mean, what _else_ do you need?

Breaking the hug, Jack yawned and rubbed his eyes, smiling as his little sister continued to beam up at him.

"Anyway, I think it's time you get back to bed." He said, shuffling back under the covers. "The quicker you get to sleep, the quicker you can wake up and turn ten-years-old."

Laying back down, Jack closed his eyes and rolled over, trying to finally fall into the warm abyss of sleep. But, after a few seconds, he could still feel Edith's eyes staring into his back, and he rolled back over to face her as she stood just in front of his head.

"Didn't you hear me?" He asked, giving her a befuddled look.

"Uh..." Edith mumbled, turning away awkwardly. "Is it...okay if I come sleep with you tonight?"

Immediately, Jack became apprehensive. Sleep was a very important thing in his life, and if someone was lying right beside him, squirming and kicking around and constantly waking him up, he was sure to get grouchy and frustrated.

But, as he spied the pleading look on Edith's face, he remembered the one thing more important than sleep.

Pulling the blanket over, Jack motioned for her to jump in beside him, and the pink-hatted tomboy didn't need a second invitation. She immediately crawled in and snuggled into Jack's chest, making the teenager internally huff. He loved Edith to death, but there was no way he was falling asleep while she was holding onto him like that.

However, he didn't realize just how wrong he was.

Within a few seconds, quicker than ever before in Jack's life, he fell stone-cold asleep. Maybe it was because Edith was cuddling him so tight, or maybe it was because he had got barely any sleep over the past few days. But, whatever the reason, Jack simply didn't care...

He was way too lost inside his dream to do so...

* * *

I sat inside the waiting room of the hospital ward, my head down as far as I could lower it. My mom had been gone for over two hours now, and I had been left alone with... _him_. I couldn't stand being here with that man around, but right now, something _much_ more important than my absolute hatred for him was happening, and I refused to miss out on it.

The seconds were passing like minutes. I wasn't sure what was making time go so slow. I narrowed it down to either my pure excitement of what I was about to see, or my pure fear of who I sat beside. Maybe it was both.

Eventually, a nurse came into the room and spoke up, gathering my attention from my thoughts. I didn't hear what she said exactly, but considering the reason why I was here, there was only one thing she was announcing.

I looked up to make eye-contact with her, but to my surprise, she was nowhere to be seen. I swear I just heard her voice. Was she ever even there? Were my ears simply playing tricks on me? Maybe I was just so excited for her to call out, that I tricked myself into thinking she did so.

I turned to face... _him_...in the hopes that he would clarify what was going on. But again, to my complete surprise, he wasn't there. A moment ago, he was sat right beside me, but now, he'd completely disappeared. In fact, the entire waiting room was empty, and I had been left all alone.

I was beyond confused. How on earth could everyone just disappear like that within a matter of seconds? Whatever the reason, I didn't necessarily care, as now, I could go see if it had _happened_.

I stood up from my seat and traipsed through the waiting room, making my way for the double-doors adjacent to my seat. I pushed them open and started down the fairly long hallway, both sides of which were occupied by dozens of doorways.

Which one was she in? I didn't have a clue, but instead of just standing there, wasting precious time, I started peeking my head through each doorway.

The first room, empty.

The second room, empty.

The third room, empty.

There wasn't a sign of anyone anywhere, and the complete silence was beginning to frighten me. I was just praying beyond belief that nothing bad had happened. Out of all the days for an apocalyptic event, knowing my luck, today would be the day for it to strike.

I continued to the next room with a deadly fearful expression painted across my face. I was getting so afraid of the unthinkable, that my limbs were starting to shiver with fear, and I found it arduous to walk in a straight line.

Eventually, I made it to the forth room, and as I peeked my head through, my heart almost stopped dead.

There she was. It had happened. I don't know where on earth my mother was, but who cares?

 _She_ was here.

I walked over to the small cot and looked inside. Sure enough, there she was, laying completely still. My mouth fell agape slightly. It shouldn't be surprising, since I've seen a baby before, but for some reason, it was the most shocking thing I had ever seen.

An amazing feeling, one of which I'd never felt before, washed over me. Tears seeped into my eyes, and even if I could try, there was no way I was stopping them from flooding down my cheeks. I'd always considered babies to be extremely ugly looking things, but in my eyes, this little girl was the most beautiful little girl I'd ever seen.

Finally, my little sister had arrived. My parents may not care about me, but now, it officially didn't matter. This was my chance. My chance to give out the love that I'd been longing to give out for so long. I didn't care how hard I'd have to try, I would get this little baby to love me as much as I already love her.

Finally, I would be happy.

Then, a clipboard upon a table beside the cot caught my eye. Many things had been written on it, and out of pure curiosity for what they'd been writing about my new little sister, I reached over and picked it up.

My mother's name had been written there. My father's name had been written there. A bunch of medical stuff had been written there. But, more importantly, my little sister's name had been written there.

 _Edith._

I had never heard that name given to anyone else before, but to me, that just seemed to make her more special. I was loving everything about this girl, and I knew that no matter what people or things that came her way, I would ensure that no harm would ever come to her.

A moment later, she very slowly opened her eyes. From the very little knowledge I obtained about newborns, I knew they couldn't see much farther than around ten inches, so I leaned in as close as possible to ensure she could see me clearly.

"Hey, Edith." I spoke softly, smiling as bright as I could. It wasn't too hard considering how overjoyed I was. "Nice to meet you."

As if she was trying to respond, she started kicking her arms and legs a little, looking insanely cute. I had never been much of a cryer, but suddenly, my eyes were becoming waterfalls. I couldn't explain the feeling I was experiencing. It was like a feeling of internal warmth mixed with unbridled joy.

Standing up straight again, I sniffed and wiped my eyes with my sleeves, trying to regain my composure. But, considering that I'd just looked into my little sister's eyes for the very first time, it was proving to be quite the difficult task. It was as if the world suddenly revolved around her, and I knew without a doubt that my life would be changing for the better from this point.

Leaning in again, I laid a very soft kiss on her forehead, trying to be as gentle as I possibly could.

"I love you." I whispered, the tears of pure joy starting to pour again. Even if I wanted to, there wasn't a chance on earth I would ever forget this day. The day everything was solved. The day I experienced love. The day I met my little sister.

The best day of my life.

* * *

"JACK! JACK! JACK! JACK! _JACKKKK_!"

Jack was abruptly woken up by the sounds of shouting, jumping and shaking. He moaned and turned over, trying his hardest to ignore the sounds and fall back asleep. However, whatever was causing the noise was pretty persistent, as within a few moments, it was jumping right beside his head.

"JACK! Come on! Wake up!" The voice was yelling, continuing to bounce up and down on the spot. Jack was so tired, that even though he could clearly recognize the voice, he wasn't entirely sure who was speaking. He figured that whoever it was would go away if he kept himself silent.

 **WHACK!**

However, the person remained relentless, and with a kick to the head, snapped Jack awake. He moaned again and rolled over, turning to face the giddy figure of his little sister.

"Ughh...jeez, Edith." He mumbled, staring up at her as she stood beside his head, practically shaking with excitement. "You didn't need to kick me. What's with all the noise?"

"What do you think!?" She exclaimed cheerfully, lifting her arms in the air excitedly. "It's my _BIRTHDAY_!"

Immediately after shouting the announcement, she leaped onto Jack's chest and started bouncing up and down again, making the teenager jolt and groan in pain. After the fifth jump, he reached up and grabbed her, making her giggle happily as he held her in mid-air.

"Okay, okay, I'm awake! Stop jumping on me!" He exclaimed playfully, unable to hold back a chuckle. Edith continued to giggle and squirm in his grasp, until finally, he pulled her in for a hug. She didn't realize it, but her birthday meant as much to Jack as it did to her. It marked the day that Jack was given a new lease on life, and he was happy that he could celebrate it _with_ his sister this year, instead of just getting extra upset _without_ her. "Happy birthday, Edith. I love you."

"Love you too!" Edith replied, her voice coming out as fast as lightning. After only a second, she leaped from her brother's arms and ran out of the room, her arms up in celebration as she continued to cheer loudly.

Jack stared on with the widest of smiles on his face. Nothing could compare to these kind of moments, when this feeling of pure happiness and gratitude took over his mind. It's enough to make him cry, but to avoid making himself look like some wimp again, he tried his hardest to push it back.

Sometimes, when this feeling made itself present, he would sit back and admire it for a while, just to take it all in.

But if he stayed in bed for any longer, he was fairly sure Edith would punch him in the face. And from what he'd seen, she had a pretty decent punch...

* * *

Dru, Jack, Margo, Edith, and Agnes all sat inside the living room, the birthday girl shaking uncontrollably in her seat with excitement. They were all awaiting Gru and Lucy to return to the room with Edith's presents, and even though they'd only been waiting for five minutes, the pure eagerness made it last forever in Edith's mind.

"Edith, could you like...calm down for a second?" Margo asked, as she started jiggling up and down on the couch with the tomboy's ferocious shaking.

"No!" Edith replied bluntly. "It's my birthday, I don't have to listen to you."

Margo rolled her eyes and looked over at her uncle, giving him a look that said 'help me out'. But, unfortunately for her, it didn't seem he was on her side.

"She's right." He said, shrugging. Huffing, Margo decided against sitting beside her and stood up, unable to handle the constant vibration any longer. Having little sisters was annoying, but having little sisters that never grow up, no matter how old they get, was even _more_ annoying.

"Does it feel different being ten, Edith?" Agnes asked, scooting over to Margo's old spot on the couch.

"Yeah, like, _totally_ different!" Edith replied, beaming. But, taking a small glance at Jack, who was keeping himself awake by rubbing his tired eyes, she decided to go back on her reply. "But...not _that_ much different. I'm still me!"

"Yeah, I didn't notice." Margo snarled, as she stood in front of the couch with her arms crossed. Before Edith could poke her tongue out at her, Gru and Lucy returned to the living room with two presents in their grasp, grabbing the ten-year-old's attention almost instantly.

Gasping excitedly, Edith started panting like a dog as they carried the presents to the front of the couch. One of them was a big box-shaped present, while the other was a thinner rectangular one.

"De beeg one ees from me, and de smaller one ees from Lucy." Gru stated, placing them down on the floor. Edith looked like she was about to tear her own hair out if she didn't start opening them right now. Chuckling at her energy, Gru continued. "Well, what are yoo waiteeng for? Open dem!"

Without any hesitation, Edith leaped from the couch and tore into the large one, ripping away the wrapping as fast as she could. Without having to take it all off, she quickly realized what the present was, and with another loud gasp, jumped into Gru with a huge hug.

"THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THHHANNNKKK YOOOOUUU!" She yelled happily, making the AVL director chuckle.

"Yoo're welcome, sweetie." Gru replied, putting his arms around her back.

"Wait, what ees eet?" Dru questioned, perking his head up to inspect it further. "De wrappeeng ees een de way."

Edith moved back over and ripped the rest of the wrapping paper off, revealing it to be a 'GameDrive X'. Immediately, everyone gasped in surprise. Edith couldn't help but grin proudly, as if she'd just done something absolutely amazing and deserved heaps of recognition.

"We are so spending the next month on that thing." Jack said, leaning in to get a closer view. Not only did it look expensive, but it also looked like the most fun thing on earth.

"Now open mine!" Lucy exclaimed cheerfully, seeming beyond excited for her daughter's reaction. Edith didn't need to be told twice, and at extreme speed, she ripped off the wrapping of her second present. Inside, was the final piece to her GameDrive X puzzle.

The Unseen Hunter game.

Squealing happily, Edith leaped over and hugged into Lucy just as she did with Gru, making the redhead grin proudly.

"YOU'RE THE BEST MOM AND DAD EVER!" Edith yelled jubilantly, still shaking uncontrollably. Gru and Lucy looked at each other with a beaming smile.

Maybe they were spoiling her a bit by spending all of that money, but judging on her overzealous reaction, they didn't really care. I mean, wasn't this the main reason for sticking with the director job? All that money they were earning meant they could buy each of their daughters almost anything they want, and the very prospect of their beaming expressions was enough to make Gru stick with the job.

When Edith finally let go and turned back towards her presents, she was shocked to see a third, cylinder-shaped present appear seemingly out of nowhere. For a moment, she simply just stood and stared at it. Who could've put it there? She was only hugging for around ten seconds, so whoever it was managed to do it fast. She looked around at her entire family, giving them all inquisitive looks, before landing on Jack.

He was very clearly pretending to mind his own business, by leaning back and staring up at the ceiling with his arms crossed and a smile planted across his face.

"Jack?" She questioned, pointing at the present. The teenager pretended to be startled by her voice, and looked back down at her, the same smile still spread across his face. "Is this from you?"

"Oh, well, I'm not sure." Jack replied playfully, uncrossing his arms and sitting up. "I think I remember buying a present for someone, but...I can't remember who."

Upon finishing his obviously sarcastic taunt, he sent her a wink, and in response, Edith gasped happily. She ripped away the wrapping at speed, and upon noticing what was inside, came to a complete stop.

Behind the wrapping paper was a see-through, cylinder shaped plastic container. But, more importantly to Edith, the inside of the container held a pink colored dumbbell, which had her initials printed on both weights. It was a lot smaller than Jack's huge dumbbell, but no matter the size, it was absolutely awesome!

"So, do you like i-" Jack started, being cut off as Edith wrapped both arms around his neck and started jumping up and down happily.

"IT'S _SOOO_ COOL!" She exclaimed joyfully. "YOU'RE, LIKE, THE COOLEST BROTHER IN THE _WORLD_!"

"Pfft...obviously." Jack replied with his umpteenth smile of the morning, wrapping his arms around her back in return.

"Dat ees pretty cool." Gru spoke, nodding impressively at the pink-colored gift.

"How did you even get that?" Margo asked, inspecting the sparkly letters 'E' and 'G' on the sides of the dumbbell.

"I have connections." Jack explained, shrugging. In response to his strangely vague response, Margo gave him an odd look. As he said a few days back, there were a lot of things she didn't know about him.

Maybe it was best that it was kept that way...

"Anyway, you stick with lifting them," Jack started, pulling his little sister out of the hug. "And you'll be beating me up in no time."

"Hmph...I can _already_ beat you up." Edith responded, smirking. "I just don't 'cuz I don't want to."

"Phew, thanks for sparing me." Jack replied playfully, proceeded by the whole family chuckling. Jack couldn't help but beam proudly when they did. For the first time, he was finally beginning to feel like one of them, and he couldn't be happier.

For the most part, it was hard for him to be accepted into this family. Not by them, mostly by himself. It seemed like they actually grew to him quite quickly, but in Jack's mind, he still felt like the outcast. Like the one who doesn't really belong.

However, because of the onslaught of insults his father used to hand him on a daily basis, he _always_ felt like he didn't really belong. Now that his old dad was gone forever and his new dad was here to stay, maybe it was nigh time to ditch those feelings. Maybe it was finally time for him to be the person he wanted to be.

A cool older brother sounded like a pretty awesome person.

"Anyway, I know eet's Edith's birthday and all but..." Gru started. "I got a leetle present for yoo, Jack."

"Aww, that's not fair." Edith moaned, crossing her arms and slumping down on the sofa.

"Yeah, getting a GameDrive X all to yourself, it's totally not fair." Jack responded, sticking out his tongue at her as she rolled her eyes and turned away. "Anyway, why are you buying _me_ a present? What've I done?"

"Well...eet's not really a present, more an offer." Gru replied, sitting down beside him on the crocodile couch, as the teen sent him a confused glare. "After what happened to Nigel, I've been lookeeng for someone weeth a lot of skill to fill een as my asseestant at de AVL. And, considering yoo've saved my daughter's lives on three separate occasions, I thought yoo feet de criteria pretty well."

"Wait...you're offering _me_ a job at the AVL?" Jack inquired, his eyes widening a little.

"Yoo won't go out on any meessions!" Gru stated, trying to make that message as clear as possible. "Eet'll be all researching on villains and telleeng me about any new threats yoo find. But...yeah, I am. I theenk eet'll be a good way to learn about how de AVL operates. And, when yoo turn twenty-one, yoo can become a full agent and start goeeng out on all de meessions weeth me and Lucy. And dat's not even mentioneeng de salary. So...what do yoo say?"

Jack's eyes were now fully open and his mouth had fallen completely agape. These past few days, Jack had been using all of his power to avoid getting a job, but now, being involved in that job was all he wanted. Sitting around, reading up on villains, before eventually going out on the dangerous missions. That sounded _so cool_.

"Yoo don't have to say yes." Gru said, after a few seconds of silence. "Eef yoo want, yoo can steek around here and spend time weeth de gurls unteel you're ready. Eet's completely up to yoo."

"No, no...I want the job." Jack responded quickly, turning and giving his three little sisters a quick glance. They were all crowded around Edith's gifts, smiling as bright as the sun. God, he loved them all so much. This whole family meant the world to him. If he could spend every waking moment with them, he definitely wouldn't pass up the opportunity. If he could spend every single day playing along with their make-believe games, he wouldn't dare complain about it. But...you've gotta grow up eventually, and seventeen is a pretty common age to do so. "I mean, you'll all be here when I get back, right?"

Gru smiled warmly.

"Of course." He stated, putting a hand on Jack's shoulder. "Always."

Jack immediately grabbed onto Gru in a hug, and as if it was some sort of telepathic command, the rest of the family soon followed suit. A warm silence filled the air, leaving a smile upon the face of anyone who was caught inside of it.

This family was now whole. Complete. Nobody was hurt and everybody still kept a hold onto their lives. There were no injuries, no scars, no nothing. Everything was pretty much perfect for them.

The US was also still intact, with no nuclear bombs coming to obliterate everything. And also, the world was completely safe from any harm.

Well...that's until the next villain comes along.

 **THE END**

* * *

 _Phew...and there we go. Thanks a lot if you stuck through until the end, even with the two-month gap in updates. It really means a lot if you cared enough about the story and the OC's to get this far. It genuinely does._

 _Anyway, I feel like people are getting a little sick of this series now. I'm certainly open to doing a third one. If people want it, then I'll do it, but I don't want to annoy anyone by continuing this series._

 **But on that note, I did end up starting a third one, so give it a read if you're interested.**

 _I've got a few ideas for new stories that revolve around the normal family, and even a few more one-shots for my one-shot series, so hopefully, I won't leave for that long again._

 _Again, thanks a lot for reading, and hopefully, I'll return with something new soon._


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